Prepared for the Office of Public Affairs (OPA)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Editorial Note: The DHS Daily Briefing is a collection of news articles related to Department’s mission. The inclusion of particular stories is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse the political viewpoints or affiliations included in news coverage.

NewsMax [3/2/2026 5:45 PM, Michael Katz, 3760K] reports the Department of Homeland Security has warned of an elevated threat environment as law enforcement across the country stepped up patrols amid escalating U.S. military operations against Iran. "I am in direct coordination with our federal intelligence and law enforcement partners as we continue to closely monitor and thwart any potential threats to the homeland," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote Saturday on X after the department circulated a law enforcement bulletin highlighting potential lone-wolf and cyberthreats tied to the conflict. ABC News reported Monday that DHS issued a bulletin Saturday to its law enforcement partners warning of potential lone-wolf and cyberattacks amid the ongoing strikes in Iran. "Although a large-scale physical attack is unlikely, Iran and its proxies probably pose a persistent threat of targeted attacks in the Homeland and will almost certainly escalate retaliatory actions — or calls to action — if reports of the Ayatollah’s death are confirmed," according to the bulletin. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed during the initial wave of attacks. "In the short-term, we are most concerned that Iran-aligned hacktivists will conduct low-level cyberattacks against U.S. networks, such as website defacements and distributed denial-of-service attacks," the bulletin stated. The alert was issued a day before a gunman opened fire in Austin, Texas, killing two and injuring 14 others. The Washington Examiner [3/2/2026 1:16 PM, Kaelan Deese, 1147K] reports that federal authorities are intensifying counterterrorism monitoring across the United States amid concerns Iran or its sympathizers could attempt retaliation following U.S.-backed strikes on Iranian leadership, according to administration officials and a former FBI counterterrorism supervisor. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, addressing the strikes on Iran for the first time since they took place just after midnight on Friday, said the Trump administration is watching closely for any signs of sleeper-cell activity or inspired violence but emphasized that agencies are already positioned to respond. "Of course, we’re paying attention to any potentialities there," Hegseth said Monday morning during a Pentagon press conference. "This is a former regime, a regime that seeks to export that ideology try to sow terror. We’re ready for that. We’ve seen these types of folks before, and the American people can rest assured that we’re vigilant on that." Hegseth said a weekend mass shooting in Austin, Texas, involving a suspect who wore a shirt that said "Property of Allah" is now under federal review but that it has not changed the government’s operational posture. On Monday, an update from authorities obtained by CBS News revealed the shooter appeared to be wearing a shirt emblazoned with a design similar to the Iranian flag. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she is coordinating with intelligence and law enforcement partners to "closely monitor and thwart any potential threats to the homeland."

Roll Call [3/2/2026 1:56 PM, Chris Johnson, 673K] reports that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is set to testify this week at two separate congressional oversight hearings, her first time facing lawmakers since the fatal shooting of two Americans in Minnesota helped spark a funding showdown over the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement. The hearings, Tuesday at the Senate Judiciary Committee and Wednesday at the House Judiciary Committee, take place as the Department of Homeland Security remains unfunded through the regular fiscal 2026 appropriations process. Democrats are set to press Noem about immigration enforcement tactics they have demanded before agreeing to funding DHS, centered on increasing accountability for officer actions and reinforcing the rights of Americans when it comes to searches, arrests, protests and the use of force during those interactions. But they have criticized DHS over a wide range of issues, such as treatment of migrants held in detention and policies that have curtailed legal immigration pathways. And some Republicans have criticized her for delays in dispersing federal disaster relief. The start of U.S. military operations in Iran over the weekend has raised new questions about the potential for retaliatory attacks in the United States, including a mass shooting Sunday in Austin, Texas, that left two people dead and 14 injured, with evidence suggesting the shooter was expressing solidarity with Iran.

FOX News [3/3/2026 12:42 AM, Staff, 37576K] reports former television journalist Emmett Miller and former State Department official Nathan Sales discuss the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and the concerns of retaliation on ‘Fox News @ Night.’ [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reuters [3/2/2026 6:32 PM, Jana Winter, 38315K] reports Iran and its proxies could target the U.S. with attacks in response to the Saturday killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei by Israeli and U.S. strikes, according to a U.S. intelligence assessment reviewed by Reuters. The Saturday threat assessment produced by the Office of Intelligence and Analysis at the Department of Homeland Security said Iran and its proxies "probably" pose a threat of targeted attacks on the United States, although a large-scale physical attack was unlikely. The report added that in the short term the main concern was that Iran-aligned "hacktivists" would conduct low-level cyberattacks against U.S. networks, such as website defacements and distributed denial-of-service attacks. "Although a large-scale physical attack is unlikely, Iran and its proxies probably pose a persistent threat of targeted attacks in the Homeland, and will almost certainly escalate retaliatory actions — or calls to action - if reports of the Ayatollah’s death are confirmed," the DHS report reviewed by Reuters said. Iran on Sunday confirmed reports of Supreme Leader Khamenei’s death in a strike on Saturday that was initially announced by Israel and President Donald Trump. The DHS assessment also said Iran would probably continue its attacks against U.S. and allied targets in the Middle East and would almost certainly blame senior U.S. government officials for any protests that begin because of Trump’s statement calling for regime change.

Bloomberg Industry Group Bloomberg Law [3/2/2026 6:00 PM, Cassandre Coyer, 763K] reports US companies and critical infrastructure facilities are on alert for a surge in disruptive cyber threats from Iran-affiliated groups and traditional ransomware criminals as US attacks against Iran continue to reverberate across the Middle East. Cyber threat intelligence researchers say they’re already seeing an uptick in cyber operations in the region and are cautioning organizations, from flagship American brands to defense-adjacent businesses and critical infrastructure entities, against looming cyber threats in the US. At the same time, they’re urging a dose of skepticism as Iranian-affiliated groups have a history of exaggerating the scale of their attacks. The risk of elevated cyber threats comes as a lapse in funding for the last three weeks has shut down many operations at the Department of Homeland Security and its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which is responsible for protecting critical infrastructure. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement she is in "direct coordination with our federal intelligence and law enforcement partners" as the department continues to "closely monitor and thwart any potential threats to the homeland." Cyber threat intelligence researchers say they’re already seeing an increase in cyber activity and claims of cyber attacks in the Middle East, giving US entities a glimpse of the threats they may face.

Daily Caller [3/2/2026 12:25 PM, Andi Shae Napier, 803K] reports congress remains deadlocked on funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as GOP lawmakers warn of heightened threats to the U.S. in the aftermath of Saturday’s Iran strikes. Republican lawmakers such as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and New York Rep. Andrew Garbarino, who chairs the Homeland Security committee, have highlighted the necessity of DHS funding over concerns of potential retaliatory terror attacks. A deadly Sunday mass shooting outside a bar in Austin, Texas — in which the suspected assailant wore pro-Iran and pro-Islam clothing — has made the threat of terrorist sleeper cells a prominent concern as major metro areas across the nation enforce heightened security measures. "The threats of terrorism are higher right now and our forces are on alert because we are actively taking out the Iranian leadership and the Ayatollah," Cruz said during Monday morning appearance on Fox News’ "Fox and Friends." "It is shocking that the Democrats continue to defund the Department of Homeland Security. We need a fully funded Department of Homeland Security at a time when terrorism threats are higher.”

Federal News Network [3/2/2026 11:54 AM, Michele Sandiford, 1297K] reports that tens of thousands of employees have been working unpaid through the Department of Homeland Security shutdown. But thousands of others across DHS will be getting a paycheck on time. The American Federation of Government Employees is urging Congress to immediately compensate all employees affected by the DHS shutdown. The union is calling for the passage of the Shutdown Fairness Act, which would pay federal employees on time during any current or future funding lapse. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is getting a new acting director. Madhu Gottumukkala is no longer CISA’s acting director after he was transferred to a new position at Department of Homeland Security headquarters last week. Gottumukkala had joined the agency as deputy director last May and took on the top leadership role in the absence of a Senate-confirmed CISA director. With the Trump administration’s nominee, Sean Plankey, still waiting for a vote in the Senate, CISA’s executive assistant director for cybersecurity Nick Andersen will now serve as the cyber agency’s acting director. [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

FOX News [3/2/2026 12:28 PM, Staff, 37576K] reports that Fox News’ Chad Pergram reports the latest on lingering national security concerns as U.S. strikes on Iran continue amid the effort to fund the Department of Homeland Security. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [3/2/2026 2:29 PM, Charles Creitz, 37576K] reports that concerns about potential Iran-linked sleeper cells are rising as the Department of Homeland Security remains unfunded and Tehran and its proxies threaten retaliation over U.S.-Israeli strikes that American officials say killed nearly 50 top Iranian leaders. The sleeper cell concerns came into full focus over the weekend when authorities say a Senegalese man opened fire at patrons of an Austin, Texas, bar while wearing a sweatshirt that read "Property of Allah.” Ndiaga Diagne, 53, of Pflugerville, who was also found with an undershirt featuring the Iranian flag, reportedly entered the U.S. during the Clinton administration on a B-2 tourist visa. He became a naturalized citizen during the Obama administration. A San Antonio FBI official said the incident is being investigated for a "potential nexus to terrorism." DHS Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News Digital on Monday that she is in "direct coordination with our federal intelligence and law enforcement partners as we continue to closely monitor and thwart any potential threats to the homeland," when asked about any increased threat from sleeper cells in the U.S. Fox News also learned Monday that a DHS memo was sent out over the weekend to various law enforcement agencies nationwide warning of potential cyberattacks and lone wolf physical attacks as a result of the U.S.-Israel bombing in Iran. The memo offered no specific knowledge of individual attacks but warned of lower-level cyberattacks or other violence. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [3/2/2026 1:38 PM, Louis Casiano, Jake Gibson, and David Spunt, 37576K] reports that the FBI remains on high alert amid the conflict with Iran, as U.S. forces head to the Middle East as the Trump administration escalates its campaign against the Islamic Republic, Fox News has learned. A senior FBI official told Fox News that the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) is still on high alert, and all resources were ready if requested or needed from law enforcement partners. A Department of Homeland Security memo sent out over the weekend warns of potential cyber and lone wolf attacks amid the bombing of Iran by U.S. and Israeli forces. The memo doesn’t mention any specific individual attacks but warns of lower-level cyberattack and other violence. On Saturday, FBI Director Kash Patel said that he instructed counterterrorism and intelligence teams to be on high alert and to mobilize all assisting security assets needed. "Our JTTFs throughout the country are working 24/7, as always, to address and disrupt any potential threats to the homeland," he wrote on X. "While the military handles force protection overseas, the @FBI remains at the forefront of deterring attacks here at home - and will continue to have our team work around the clock to protect Americans," he added. Police shot and killed the gunman, who used a pistol and a rifle in the shooting. On Monday, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said more U.S. troops were headed toward the Middle East, but declined to specify how many.

The Hill [3/2/2026 6:33 PM, Sudiksha Kochi, 18170K] reports Republicans are pointing to the U.S. attack on Iran in order to ramp up pressure on Democrats to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Democrats have demanded that the White House significantly overhaul its immigration enforcement tactics following the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota at the hands of federal agents, and they have refused to support any DHS funding legislation until those changes are made. But Republicans argue that the escalating conflict with Iran is heightening threats to the homeland, which makes it dangerous for the department to remain shut down. And they plan on bringing a DHS bill to the floor of the House on Thursday for a vote, a source told The Hill. The House Rules Committee is scheduled to take up the bill during a meeting on Tuesday. “Following the successful strikes on Iran and the FBI’s warning of elevated threats here at home, it is dangerous for Democrats in Washington to keep the Department of Homeland Security shut down,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) wrote on the social platform X. “This week, we are calling on House Democrats to end their dangerous games by bringing to the floor legislation to end the DHS shutdown so we can ensure agencies can protect America during this dangerous time,” he added. The Washington Examiner [3/2/2026 3:49 PM, Rachel Schilke, 1147K] reports House Democrats will be forced to decide this week whether to reopen the Department of Homeland Security or keep the agency charged with protecting the country from terrorism closed as threats of Iranian terrorist cells retaliating inside the United States mount. House Republican leadership is teeing up a vote to fund DHS this week, with Republicans using the possible fallout from the U.S. strikes on Iran as leverage to end the partial government shutdown. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told Republicans the DHS funding bill will largely resemble the one that passed the chamber in January but stalled in the Senate, the Washington Examiner confirmed. The House rules committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to discuss the legislation. The decision to put the DHS bill on the floor for the second time comes as negotiations between the White House, Senate Democrats, and Senate Republicans remain up in the air over how to proceed with funding for immigration agencies. But Republicans have pointed to possible dangers spreading across the country in response to the U.S. striking Iran over the weekend, which they say requires a fully-funded DHS. Several members have already pointed to one shooting in Austin that happened over the weekend, which authorities are investigating as possibly motivated by the conflict in Iran.

New York Times [3/2/2026 12:25 PM, Madeleine Ngo and Scott Dance, 148038K] reports federal agencies are starting to show signs of strain as the Department of Homeland Security’s shutdown enters its third week and the U.S. assault on Iran raises concerns about a heightened risk of terrorist threats domestically. The department is continuing what it calls “essential” missions amid a partisan standoff in which Democrats have refused to fund the department without measures to rein in immigration officers. The funding lapse has had few implications for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, however, in large part because of the billions of dollars in funding Republicans in Congress approved for the agency last summer. But funding delays and discontent among federal employees could threaten crucial government services and national security if the shutdown drags on. And cracks are already showing in some corners of the department, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Federal officials say money for disaster recovery is draining away, and organizers for cities set to host World Cup matches this summer are waiting for funding to ramp up security. Over the weekend, Republican lawmakers maintained that President Trump’s military assault on Iran makes it even more critical that federal employees who help keep the country safe, including airport security officers, should not go without pay. “We cannot afford delays,” Representative Andrew Garbarino, the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee and a Republican of New York, said in a social media post. “We must ensure DHS is operating at maximum readiness to prevent and respond to threats against our homeland.” Democrats dismissed those arguments, saying they would keep demanding restrictions on immigration agents.

Politico [3/2/2026 8:30 PM, Katherine Tully-McManus and Jordain Carney, 21784K] reports Democrats said Monday they have no plans to end their blockade of Department of Homeland Security funding in the face of GOP pressure to capitulate after President Donald Trump’s sweeping strikes on Iran. Congressional Republicans insist the military conflict makes ending the 17-day DHS shutdown even more urgent, given the agency’s role in counterterrorism and domestic security. But Democrats say they’ve been clear from the beginning that if Republicans want their votes, they must agree to changes to how the Trump administration carries out its immigration enforcement agenda. Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, flatly rejected the suggestion that war with Iran should change his party’s shutdown posture. “No,” he said in an interview. “We gave fair warning to the Republicans that we were serious about reining in what the ICE forces are doing. What we’re talking about is responsible.” As an alternative, many Democrats are willing to fund DHS agencies that don’t deal with immigration enforcement. Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the House’s top Democratic appropriator, introduced a bill almost three weeks ago that would fund parts of DHS including the Coast Guard, TSA, Secret Service, FEMA and the nation’s cybersecurity agency through Sept. 30. “There’s no disagreement on any of that. We could move forward and fund those for the rest of the year, and then have the negotiation” on ICE and Customs and Border Protection, DeLauro said in an interview Monday night. “But this is about their politics.” Splitting up the DHS bill is something Republicans have opposed since the funding lapse started. According to three people granted anonymity to disclose private strategy, House and Senate GOP leaders see no reason to change their views now. Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) said in an interview Monday that Democrats are “putting the country at risk” by not funding DHS and that they “should work with the administration to come up with something they can vote for.” A group of Republicans in the Texas legislature cited a deadly Sunday morning shooting in Austin in urging congressional leaders to “pass full, unencumbered funding for DHS without delay.” Authorities are investigating whether the Iran attack motivated the gunman, who was killed by law enforcement. Because a huge proportion of DHS employees work on “essential” national security related tasks, agency furloughs have been limited, though administrative and planning work is largely on pause. That means most TSA screeners, FEMA workers and Coast Guard members are at work but not being paid as the shutdown stretches past two weeks.

Federal News Network [3/2/2026 1:44 PM, Terry Gerton, 1297K] reports that guest: Loren Duggan. Title: News director, Bloomberg Government. Summary: Congress is busy as ever. Hearings, the State of the Union, potentially major legislation, and oh yea, the Department of Homeland Security is still not funded. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Washington Post [3/2/2026 6:00 PM, John Woodrow Cox and Hannah Natanson, 24826K] reports Congressional Democrats launched an inquiry Monday into how tech giants handle demands from the Department of Homeland Security for personal information on Americans who criticize the agency. The probe comes after The Washington Post investigated Homeland Security’s use of administrative subpoenas, a powerful but little-known legal instrument that federal agencies can issue without an order from a judge or grand jury. The U.S. government had been accused under previous administrations of overstepping laws and guidelines that restrict the subpoenas’ use, but privacy and civil rights groups say that, under President Donald Trump, Homeland Security has weaponized the tool to strangle free speech. In a letter to the tech companies, 28 members of Congress cited Jon’s case as well as others highlighted in The Post’s story, alleging that the incidents “demonstrate that DHS has used this authority to identify, surveil, and intimidate individuals based on speech and political expression protected by the First Amendment.” The letter — addressed to executives at Google, Meta, Apple, Snap, Microsoft, X, TikTok, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon — asked the companies to describe how they handle administrative subpoenas from Homeland Security, whether they had challenged the requests, either internally or in court, and if they had identified patterns that raise “civil liberties concerns” since Trump’s second term began a year ago.

CNN [3/2/2026 6:35 PM, Cindy Von Quednow, 19874K] reports more than a dozen incidents involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, including top Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino, are being investigated to determine whether any laws were broken during Operation Metro Surge, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced Monday. The investigation, dubbed the Transparency and Accountability Project, is being conducted by county prosecutors and a civilian staffer, who are collecting evidence submitted by the public, county officials said. As part of the investigation, a new portal was created for residents to share images and descriptions of incidents involving unlawful conduct by federal agents. “We will investigate and pursue charging where appropriate, and we’ll seek collaboration with local law enforcement wherever and whenever needed,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a news release. “Make no mistake, we are not afraid of any legal fight. But we will do this ethically, responsibly, and vigorously.” So far, the county attorney’s office team is investigating 17 incidents that were brought to their attention by the community, including a January encounter where Bovino was seen deploying a chemical agent into a crowd of protesters, Moriarty said. After the incident involving Bovino, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Border Patrol agents were in the area as part of a targeted enforcement operation when they were “repeatedly harassed and blocked by hostile crowds while simply trying to take bathroom breaks.”

Reported similarly:
Reuters [3/2/2026 6:48 PM, Brad Brooks, 38315K]

Wall Street Journal [3/2/2026 9:41 PM, Joseph De Avila, 646K] reports the Hennepin County Attorney’s office in Minnesota is investigating more than a dozen incidents involving federal immigration officials that occurred during an enforcement surge targeting the Twin Cities. Mary Moriarty, the Hennepin County Attorney, said Monday that her office was collecting and assessing evidence submitted by the public for any potentially criminal activity by immigration officials and agents during the operation, dubbed Operation Metro Surge. One incident under review took place in January near a park that involved Customs and Border Protection Commander Gregory Bovino and other officials who used force against observers and the press, Moriarty said. Hennepin County Attorney investigators are also reviewing the use of force by CBP and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials against staff and students at Roosevelt High School in January, she said. “We will investigate and pursue charging where appropriate,” Moriarty said. Federal officials acting in the course of their duties are immune from liability under state law, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said. “What these States are trying to do is unlawful, and they know it,” the spokesperson said. “Politicians are laying blame at the feet of law enforcement instead of looking in the mirror at how they have fueled the hatred and violent attacks we are seeing against federal law enforcement officers.” Moriarty said her office was reviewing 17 incidents. She declined to discuss other incidents her office was looking at, citing witnesses’ fears about the possibility of being publicly identified and facing retaliation. It will be challenging for her office to pursue charges against federal officials, including those who were masked and whose identities remain secret, Moriarty said. Immigration officials who face charges in state court could move to have the case heard in federal court or could try to claim supremacy-clause immunity, she said, under which federal officers can claim protection from state prosecutions in some cases.

FOX News [3/2/2026 12:39 PM, Preston Mizell, 37576K] reports that the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform requested a briefing from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Attorney General Pam Bondi on the dark money funding behind agitator groups involved in anti-ICE demonstrations across the country. The committee sent a letter to Bondi on Monday as anti-U.S. protests ramp up amid attacks on Iran, largely funded by CPP-connected millionaire and Shanghai resident Neville Roy Singham. "The Committee seeks to understand [DOJ] efforts to track or assess possible connections among organized efforts to obstruct law enforcement with foreign influences and criminal activities, including fraud," the letter read. "The Committee believes it is imperative to assess whether foreign-sourced funding and/or proceeds of financial crimes, particularly those involving federal funds, may be contributing to, or otherwise exacerbating unrest and efforts to obstruct law enforcement," the letter added. Prior to the attacks on Iran over the weekend, one group called for an "emergency nationwide day of action" to "stop the war with Iran." Following President Donald Trump’s announcement of the attack, The People’s Forum, an organization that has admitted to receiving tens of millions of dollars from Singham, mobilized agitators for a protest. Fox News Digital reached out to The People’s Forum and Singham but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Washington Post [3/2/2026 6:13 PM, Andy Beshear, 24826K] reports as America’s conflict with Iran continues, the Department of Homeland Security is warning law enforcement about the heightened risk of lone wolf attacks. Yet the agency tasked with keeping Americans safe — one of the few responsibilities just about everyone agrees is appropriate for government — remains unfunded as Congress bickers over immigration politics. Congressional negotiators reached a deal to fund the federal government but outrage over President Donald Trump’s deportation tactics pushed Democrats to defund DHS. The agency has been in a shutdown since Feb. 14. Both sides are still negotiating, and the White House sent its latest proposal to Democrats on Friday. Most Americans won’t notice the changes unless they’re traveling and can’t use Global Entry, but it’s the kind of agency you regret not being staffed only once it’s too late. On Sunday, a deranged shooter killed two and injured 14 others at a bar in Austin wearing a "Property of Allah’’ hoodie and another shirt with an Iranian flag design. It’s not possible to draw a direct line between the shutdown and that tragedy, but having fewer people protecting the homeland at a time like this is an unnecessary risk. The irony is that, despite the shutdown, ICE is still being funded thanks to a large infusion from this summer’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Agencies including FEMA, the Transportation Security Administration and the Secret Service are more vulnerable. Looming gaps pose real security issues. Only 800 of the more than 2,000 employees at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are currently working, according to data shared with us by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). Most have been furloughed. The agency has cancelled assessments that detect vulnerabilities in America’s critical infrastructure, which seems like bad timing in light of the Iranian regime’s expertise at hacking. Over 50,000 TSA agents and screeners will miss their first paycheck this week. During last year’s shutdown, nearly 10 percent were absent from work. Employees involved in processing for the FEMA Go system have also been furloughed. Not everyone will get what they want. Congressional Republicans can’t simply ban sanctuary cities. And Democrats won’t get Republicans to ban every ICE operation in residential areas. They might look to savvy politicians like Collins, who was able to announce the end of an enhanced ICE operation in her state after appealing directly to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. In an interview, Collins said that "sitting down with DHS and discussing strategies to focus on detention and deportation of criminals" is a good way to prevent ICE surges.

New York Post [3/2/2026 7:29 PM, Staff, 40934K] reports memo to Democrats: The United States is at war and vulnerable to terrorist attacks; this is no time to be defunding Homeland Security. Democrats have been withholding funding for the Department of Homeland Security for weeks in hopes of forcing Republicans to agree to all but gut ICE. Yet now the United States and Israel have struck Iran, and Americans face the threat that terrorists sympathetic to Tehran and/or hostile to this country snuck in during the Biden open-border era and may see this as the time to strike. Already, a seemingly Islamist madman shot up a bar in Austin, Texas, on Sunday: Folowing the joint US and Israeli air attack, Senegalese immigrant Ndiaga Diagne — wearing a “Property of Allah” sweatshirt and a t-shirt embossed with a tribute to the Iranian flag — murdered at least two people and wounded another 14. Such an act could be a sign of things to come, as “lone wolves” or Iranian sleeper cells awaken to carry out savage violence against Americans. So why are Dems still holding up funding for DHS, the agency tasked with finding and neutralizing terrorists in the homeland? Fixated on defanging ICE as part of their midterm electoral strategy, Senate Democrats have refused to end this partial shutdown — which only affects DHS agencies including TSA, Border Patrol and the Secret Service, though ironically not ICE — unless Republicans cave on their radical wish list.

New York Post [3/2/2026 6:17 PM, Daniel McCarthy, 40934K] reports when a 41-year-old mother is murdered at a bus stop, who bothers to protest? Stephanie Minter’s death is as closely tied to the nation’s immigration debate as Alex Pretti’s or Renee Good’s. But while Pretti and Good died while trying to prevent the enforcement of our country’s immigration laws, Minter died precisely because those laws were not enforced. Abdul Jalloh, the man alleged to have stabbed Minter to death in Fairfax County, Va., should never have set foot in America. He came here illegally from Sierra Leone in 2012, and since then he’s illegally done just about everything else imaginable. Jalloh was arrested more than 30 times — for everything from drug possession and trespassing to assault, malicious wounding and rape — before he finally turned an innocent woman into a pincushion. Yet his victims were often homeless and couldn’t be tracked down to be interviewed by police. If progressives who otherwise are keen to advocate for the homeless could make a distinction between vulnerable Americans and predators like Jalloh, he could have been stopped and sent home long before he could kill.

Politico [3/2/2026 3:14 PM, Kyle Cheney, 21784K] reports the Department of Homeland Security may not bar members of Congress from making unannounced visits to ICE detention facilities, a federal judge ruled Monday, blocking a policy imposed in January by Secretary Kristi Noem requiring a week’s notice before lawmakers could gain access. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb ruled that Noem’s policy was crafted with funds that Congress specifically said could not be used to impede lawmakers’ visits to detention facilities, even if those visits are not announced in advance. And she rejected DHS’ claim that it had relied on alternative funding sources to craft and implement the policy — namely the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which directed unprecedented sums toward DHS operations. “The Court agrees that these funds are indeed staggering,” Cobb wrote in the 44-page ruling. “But the power of the purse rests with Congress, and even a deep-pocketed agency must comply with Congress’s restrictions on the permissible uses of appropriated funds.” The Trump administration quickly appealed the ruling. It was Cobb’s third time blocking or limiting the reach of Noem’s efforts to prevent unannounced lawmaker visits. In December, the Biden-appointed judge blocked the policy in response to a lawsuit filed by Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) and a dozen other lawmakers who sued, claiming their efforts to visit detention facilities had been illegally blocked. But in January, when members of Congress attempted to access an ICE facility in Minnesota in the wake of the fatal shooting of Renee Good — one of them even wielding a paper copy of Cobb’s opinion — ICE blocked them again. Noem had issued a new version of the policy, claiming to fund it with the unrestricted funds of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Last month, Cobb again sided with the lawmakers, granting an emergency ruling that allowed Neguse and the dozen other plaintiffs to regain unfettered access to ICE facilities. This time, Cobb’s ruling will block enforcement of the policy altogether, restoring full access to ICE detention facilities for all members of Congress. Cobb said her latest ruling was strengthened by the fact in recent months, “ICE’s enforcement and detention practices have become the focus of intense national and congressional interest.” Cobb separately rejected claims that the ongoing shutdown of DHS funding should influence her ruling. Though appropriations for the department have lapsed, she said the agency’s leadership structure is still operating on funding provided by annual appropriations bills — which include the requirement for lawmakers to have unrestricted access to ICE detention centers. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Reported similarly:
Roll Call [3/2/2026 12:00 PM, Chris Johnson, 673K]
Bloomberg [3/2/2026 3:21 PM, Suzanne Monyak, 50K]
Breitbart [3/2/2026 6:49 PM, Staff, 2238K]
The Hill [3/2/2026 3:51 PM, Rebecca Beitsch, 18170K]
Washington Examiner [3/2/2026 3:35 PM, Anna Giaritelli, 1147K]

Blaze [3/2/2026 3:20 PM, Carlos Garcia, 1556K] reports statutory rape, sexual abuse of a child, assault on a child causing death, and manslaughter are some of the criminal illegal aliens documented by the Department of Homeland Security. The Trump administration is continuing the mass deportation of illegal aliens despite challenges in court from illegal alien advocates and left-wing politicians. "March 1, 2026, marked the 23-year anniversary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, DHS is finally putting Americans first," said Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis in an email release to Blaze News. "Over the weekend, ICE arrested child killers, pedophiles, murderers, and other despicable criminals across the country," she added.

FOX News [3/2/2026 9:00 PM, Alexander Hall, 37576K] reports English rock band Radiohead told ICE to "go f--- yourselves" on Friday after one of their songs had been used in a video mourning the victims of illegal immigrant crime. Radiohead issued a public statement to multiple news outlets condemning the use of their song "Let Down" in a pro-ICE video, one of multiple recent incidents of artists objecting to their music being used in pro-ICE videos. "We demand that the amateurs in control of the ICE social media account take it down. It ain’t funny, this song means a lot to us and other people, and you don’t get to appropriate it without a fight. Also, go f--- yourselves… Radiohead," the band said, according to NBC News and other news outlets. The video ICE released showed portrait photos of numerous victims of alleged illegal immigrant violence as a choral rendition of the song "Let Down" plays. "Thousands of American families have been torn apart because of criminal illegal alien violence," the agency wrote in a tweet as a caption to the video. "American citizens raped and murdered by those who have no right to be in our country. This is who we fight for. This is our why.” DHS deputy assistant secretary Lauren Bis did not say whether the agency would honor the request to remove the video, but instead told Fox News Digital and other news outlets, "We fight for the Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nungaray, Rachel Morin, Katie Abraham and countless other American victims of illegal alien crime. Where is the compassion for the mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters of Americans who have been brutally raped and murdered by criminal illegal aliens?". This is not the only incident in which Radiohead has objected to the use of their music for a political video. In early February, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood and film director Paul Thomas Anderson requested that the "Melania" documentary remove a song they asserted was used without Greenwood’s permission. A statement from Greenwood’s representative claimed that the film used his song "Barbara Rose" without consulting Greenwood. "It has come to our attention that a piece of music from ‘Phantom Thread’ has been used in the ‘Melania’ documentary," the statement to Variety said. "While Jonny Greenwood does not own the copyright in the score, Universal failed to consult Jonny on this third-party use which is a breach of his composer agreement. As a result, Jonny and Paul Thomas Anderson have asked for it to be removed from the documentary.” Fox News Digital contacted ICE and Radiohead and did not receive an immediate reply.

CNN [3/3/2026 4:01 AM, Zoe Sottile, 19874K] reports during an unannounced meeting with President Donald Trump last week, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani brought up four pro-Palestinian protesters pursued by federal immigration authorities: Mahmoud Khalil, Yunseo Chung, Mohsen Mahdawi, and Leqaa Kordia. “I asked that these cases be dropped,” Mamdani said at a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Weeksville Heritage Center Friday. “And the president said that he would look into it.” The mayor said he also spoke about Ellie Aghayeva, a Columbia undergraduate taken into custody by federal agents, during his meeting with the president Thursday. He said Trump informed him she would be released and Aghayeva was out of custody later that day. The other four are among a number of pro-Palestinian noncitizens targeted by federal immigration authorities last year, after protests against Israel’s military operation that devastated large parts of Gaza swept through the US. Trump had pledged to crack down on noncitizens protesting Israel, whom he framed as “Hamas sympathizers.” The wave of arrests sparked outrage and concern from civil rights advocates, who have argued the detainees were targeted for constitutionally protected speech. A White House official said there was no update to provide. CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment on each of the individuals.

FOX News [3/2/2026 11:39 AM, Rachel del Guidice, 37576K] reports both the Pennsylvania (Penn) State University College Republicans and College Democrats are speaking out after another flyer reading, "Dead ICE agents can’t kill," was found on campus, depicting the hanging of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer. In a joint Saturday statement entitled, "PSU College Republicans and Democrats Condemn Continued ICE Death Threats on Campus," they said, "Earlier today, a member of the Penn State College Republicans discovered a second ‘Dead ICE Agents Can’t Kill’ flyer placed near the HUB-Robeson Center, which serves as a central part of daily life for students at Penn State." A flyer with the same imagery and language was discovered in late January at Penn State, one of the nation’s largest universities. "It is deeply disturbing to consider that students on our campus would put up these messages and condone this violent rhetoric," the joint statement said. "As both the Penn State College Republicans and the Penn State College Democrats have previously stated, this kind of dangerous and reckless rhetoric calling for violence against our federal law enforcement officers, civil servants, or any of our fellow Americans is nothing short of unacceptable in today’s America."

CBS Pittsburgh [3/2/2026 6:17 PM, Chris Hoffman, 51110K] Video: HERE reports a non-profit community resource center in Pittsburgh that advocates for Latinos said recent actions from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have left the community paralyzed with fear. According to Casa San José, some people are afraid to leave their homes. Since this time last year, Casa San José said ICE has appeared to ramp up its efforts in the area. "The effect is terrible. People don’t want to leave their houses," said Matt Jordan, Casa San José’s lead community organizer. Jordan said community members and organizers have seen ICE officers drive around neighborhoods in what they consider to be an act of intimidation. They say they’ve also seen people detained near sensitive locations, including schools. "I think that’s very intentional because what they are trying to do is amplify their presence and appear much larger than they actually are," Jordan said. According to Jordan, no matter their immigration status or criminal record, community members are scared. In February, Oakmont father Jose Flores was arrested while getting ready to take his daughter to school. Local leaders said Flores was here legally on a valid work visa with an affirmative pending asylum case. He was released days later.

Washington Post [3/2/2026 6:00 AM, Tim Carman, 24826K] reports the co-owner of a downtown D.C. restaurant saw the letter from Homeland Security Investigations on Friday, Feb. 13, the eve of Valentine’s Day, one of the busiest dining holidays of the year. HSI, the primary investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, notified the restaurant that 32 of its 46 employees “appear unauthorized to work in the United States,” according to a copy of the letter reviewed by The Washington Post. The proprietor knew the notice had the potential to severely disrupt his business, perhaps requiring him to scale back his menu, pull managers away from their regular duties to act as servers, or work on the kitchen line himself. So he didn’t tell his staff about the letter until the following Monday. “I’m trying to fight for as many as I can,” the restaurateur said a few days after receiving the notice. Like other owners, he spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of putting his business and workers at further risk. On Tuesday, Feb. 24, 11 days after receiving the HSI letter, the co-owner tallied his losses: 29 employees — line cooks, prep cooks, bartenders, servers, managers — sent him messages to say they would no longer be working at his well-regarded restaurant. As he spoke on the phone, a manager in the background was arranging interviews in a mad dash for replacements in an industry that has long struggled with labor shortages. Similar scenes were playing out at other restaurants in Washington, where at least six other establishments also received “notice of suspect documents” letters from HSI in mid-February. The Post confirmed that at least 131 employees at five restaurants have left their jobs or been terminated because of the letters, according to owners or their attorneys. Immigration lawyers say restaurateurs should brace for much worse.

Daily Wire [3/2/2026 8:30 AM, Jennie Taer, 2314K] reports that the Trump administration is urging Democratic Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger against releasing an illegal immigrant suspect with 30 prior arrests who is now accused of fatally stabbing a local mother at a bus stop. Just after assuming office, Spanberger signed an executive order last month that ended required cooperation between state and local law enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Weeks later, Abdul Jalloh, 32, an illegal immigrant from Sierra Leone, allegedly murdered 41-year-old Virginia mother Stephanie Minter. Minter’s lifeless body was found at a bus stop on Feb. 23. The Fairfax Police Department began a search for the suspect, later identifying him as Jalloh. He was arrested the day after the killing after a local business employee recognized him and called the police. ICE lodged a detainer with local police on Feb. 25, requesting that they hand Jalloh over if he’s to be released to ensure he’s not back on the streets, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS called on "Spanberger and Virginia’s sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this murderer and violent career criminal from their jail without notifying ICE," the agency’s deputy assistant secretary Lauren Bis said in a recent statement.

NewsMax [3/2/2026 11:51 AM, Theodore Bunker, 3760K] reports that Fairfax County police have charged a Sierra Leonean man, who authorities say illegally entered the U.S. in 2012, with second-degree murder after the fatal stabbing of 41-year-old Stephanie Minter at a bus stop shelter in Virginia’s Hybla Valley area last month. Police responded at 7:16 p.m. Feb. 23 to reports of an injured woman at the bus stop near Richmond Highway and Arlington Drive, where they found Minter of Fredericksburg suffering from stab wounds to her upper body. Officers and emergency personnel attempted lifesaving measures, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. The case has drawn public attention and sharpened debates over criminal justice practices and cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Investigators identified Abdul Jalloh, 32, through surveillance footage and interviews, noting he was seen with Minter exiting a bus near the attack site shortly before the killing, police said. On Tuesday, officers located Jalloh after an employee at a local business recognized him and contacted police. Jalloh was initially arrested on petty theft charges and held without bond before detectives linked him to Minter’s death and obtained a warrant charging him with second-degree murder. Federal authorities say Jalloh is a Sierra Leone national who entered the U.S. illegally in 2012 and has a lengthy criminal history that includes more than 30 arrests, according to the Department of Homeland Security. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer was lodged in 2020, and a judge granted a final order of removal to a third country, though he remained in the U.S., the agency said.

Univision [3/2/2026 3:58 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports amid rumors that the Democratic-led city or state could be the next target of the immigration offensive, there are reports of warehouse purchases by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to create detention centers. While social media had pointed to Philadelphia as the site of the next mass immigration operations, it is Maryland where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is transferring approximately 100 vehicles from Minneapolis. According to Project Salt Box publications, the fleet is being taken to a warehouse in Williamsport, Maryland, in what some sources describe as a logistical move linked to the expansion of operations in the region.

DailySignal [3/2/2026 2:15 PM, Reagan Campbell, 474K] reports that Democrat lawmakers in Georgia have proposed legislation to prevent taxpayer money from being used to build U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities in the state. Georgia state Sen. Jaha Howard introduced the bill in response to ICE’s reported plans to build facilities in Social Circle and Oakwood. He was joined by state Sen. RaShaun Kemp and South Fulton City Councilwoman Helen Zenobia Willis to announce the legislation. "We are here because of a proposal of a 10,000-bed detention facility in a town with fewer than 5,000 residents. That should give every Georgian pause," Howard said, according to CBS News Atlanta. The South Fulton City Council recently voted to move forward with zoning changes aimed at blocking ICE detention facilities. The Department of Homeland Security, however, plans to continue expanding detention space in Georgia. The local opposition follows President Donald Trump’s promise to deport millions of illegal aliens—and backlash that has ensued in communities like Minneapolis, where protests led to violent confrontations with ICE. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll last week revealed that 61% of Americans support the deportation of illegal aliens, even as an equal number don’t agree with ICE’s tactics. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, said the administration valued collaboration with local leaders. "Secretary Noem has stated that she is willing to work with officials on both sides of the aisle to expand detention space to help ICE law enforcement carry out the largest deportation effort in American history," McLaughlin said.

CBS News [3/2/2026 6:21 PM, Emily McLeod, 51110K] reports controversy and concern remain over the proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Social Circle. Social Circle city officials, as well as Sen. Raphael Warnock, toured the city’s water and wastewater treatment facilities on Monday. Infrastructure concerns are at the center of the planned ICE detention center in a city some call "Georgia’s Greatest Little Town." "The DHS analysis assumes 4.25 million gallons, and available sewer capacity in this area, 1.25 million gallons, is at a sewer plant in another county that does not even connect it to our system," said Social Circle City Manager Eric Taylor. But there are concerns beyond infrastructure. The partial government shutdown is holding up Warnock’s amendment to prohibit the use of federal dollars to acquire, build, renovate, or expand ICE detention centers in metro Atlanta. According to the City of Social Circle, the facility is set to house anywhere from 7,500 to 10,000 people.

CBS News [3/2/2026 6:19 PM, Staff, 51110K] Video: HERE reports controversy and concern remain over the proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in the small Georgia city of Social Circle.

NBC News [3/2/2026 5:00 PM, Nicole Acevedo, 42967K] reports former U.S. Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino’s use of a chemical irritant on Minnesotans protesting large-scale immigration operations is one of several incidents being investigated by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. The investigation is part of a new initiative to collect and assess evidence submitted by the public to identify "potentially unlawful behavior by federal agents" during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced on Monday. Through the Transparency and Accountability Project’s online portal, the public can "share photos, videos, and descriptions of any incidents that may involve unlawful conduct by federal agents," Moriarty said in a statement. The project is staffed by county prosecutors and a civilian investigator. That team "is actively investigating 17 incidents that have been brought to our attention by the community, including Gregory Kent Bovino’s actions near Mueller Park on January 21," Moriarty said. "We will investigate and pursue charging where appropriate, and we’ll seek collaboration with local law enforcement wherever and whenever needed."

Breitbart [3/2/2026 11:09 AM, Amy Furr, 2238K] reports that a violent demonstration against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Sunday resulted in about 54 anti-ICE protesters being arrested. Law enforcement cited and released 38 individuals while one person was booked into jail, Fox News reported, noting the Minnesota State Patrol said 15 others were arrested during the incident outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building. "Demonstrators gathered at the building as part of a weeklong effort to oppose ICE action in the state," MPR News reported Monday. Indeed, the news comes as leftists have been protesting lawful immigration enforcement in cities across the nation as President Donald Trump’s administration works to safeguard American communities from illegal alien crime. In a statement on Sunday, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office said it was an unlawful assembly and detailed how the protesters were allegedly causing chaos at the scene: "This morning, our deputies issued dispersal orders at an unlawful assembly outside the Whipple Building after individuals blocked roadways, blocked access to local businesses, dumped glass into the street, and threw rocks, ice chunks and water bottles at law enforcement creating a serious public safety hazard. Arrests are being made," the agency wrote. The sheriff’s office then added, "Freedom of speech and peaceful assembly is a right. Endangering the public is not. Unlawful activity including blocking roads, intentionally creating hazards and assaultive behavior will not be tolerated." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CBS Colorado [3/2/2026 5:43 PM, Jasmine Arenas, 51110K] reports a Colorado community was rattled Saturday morning after immigration agents searched a Lakewood apartment building while attempting to detain a suspect in a hit-and-run crash, according to police and witnesses. The incident unfolded around 10 a.m. near Alameda Avenue in Lakewood, when agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement were conducting an operation to detain a suspect, Lakewood police said. According to the Lakewood Police Department, the suspect rammed two federal immigration vehicles, injuring one agent. The suspect then got out of the car and ran into a nearby apartment building. Lakewood police said officers responded because of concerns about community safety and the potential violation of local law. They set up a perimeter but said police officers did not engage the suspect or take part in the federal operation. Police said federal agents later obtained a warrant and began searching the apartment building for the suspect. By that time, Lakewood police had cleared the scene. Video taken by a witness and reviewed by CBS News Colorado shows immigration enforcement officials entering a residence. A man was later taken into custody by the agents. After the agents left, damage was visible on a doorknob in the building. Authorities have not released the suspect’s identity or said whether the person is still in federal custody.

Axios [3/2/2026 6:37 PM, Esteban L. Hernandez, 17364K] reports Denver City Council voted unanimously Monday to ban law enforcement from wearing face coverings in a move targeting federal agents. Denver’s government is clashing with the Trump administration for the second time in as many weeks. Mayor Mike Johnston signed an executive order last week banning federal law enforcement from city-owned or city-controlled buildings. The new law applies to all law enforcement, but it targets federal agents like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, whose use of face coverings has faced public backlash. The federal government has been highly critical of the two actions. DHS told Axios in January federal agents won’t comply with the face mask ban and a spokesperson last week called Johnston’s executive order "legally illiterate."

CBS Colorado [3/3/2026 12:10 AM, Staff, 51110K] Video: HERE reports Denver city leaders unanimously passed a ban on all officers, including ICE agents, from wearing face coverings while detaining or arresting people. That law also requires officers to wear visible identification.

DailySignal [3/2/2026 5:00 PM, Tyler O’Neil, 474K] reports the White House has joined with the top Republican in the Colorado House of Representatives in condemning bills seeking to prevent any Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent from joining state and local police, and to make ICE agents liable for alleged violations of constitutional rights. Jarvis Caldwell, the Republican minority leader in the Colorado House, told The Daily Signal that Democrats are "advancing bills that put Colorado in direct conflict with federal law enforcement and expose our state to serious legal and financial consequences." Caldwell condemned HB26-1275, which forbids law enforcement officers from concealing their identities and directly targets agents with ICE and Customs and Border Protection. The bill states that the Peace Officer Standards and Training Board "shall deny certification to a person who has previously been employed or who is currently employed by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency or United States Customs and Border Protection agency." This would prevent former ICE and CBP officers from joining state and local police forces in the Centennial State. Another bill, SB26-005, which passed the Colorado Senate last week, would allow people to sue federal immigration agents in Colorado for allegedly violating rights secured by the U.S. Constitution.

Telemundo [3/2/2026 8:33 PM, Staff, 2524K] reports another Mexican citizen died while in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Mexico’s Foreign Ministry (SRE) reported on Monday. The Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) indicated in a statement published on the social network X that the Mexican citizen was at the Adelanto Processing Center in California. Mexican authorities called for an investigation into the death: “The Foreign Ministry will formally request an investigation into the systemic conditions that have led to such regrettable events. It is reiterated that the protection of the human rights of Mexican citizens abroad is a priority for the Mexican government.” They added that the SRE had requested the immigrant’s medical records and custody reports from US authorities to understand what had happened to him. They also indicated that, in addition to establishing communication mechanisms with their US counterparts, the "Consulate’s Protection staff has provided close and ongoing support to the family of the Mexican national. The head of the Consulate established direct contact to express condolences and provide any necessary legal assistance, as well as support with the arrangements required for the repatriation of his remains." The incident occurred more than a month after another Mexican immigrant, Heber Sánchez Domínguez, died in ICE custody. On January 14, ICE reported that Sánchez Domínguez had been found dead at a detention center in Georgia, where he had been arrested following a traffic accident. At that time, ICE indicated that it had launched an investigation to determine the cause of his death. A total of 16 immigrants died in ICE custody during fiscal year 2025, amid growing complaints about poor conditions and deficiencies in medical care during the Trump administration, according to official figures. The number of deaths in fiscal year 2025 is only surpassed by 2020, the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, when 21 deaths were recorded. However, it exceeds the 12 deaths in 2024. In the three preceding years, there were 4 deaths in 2023, 3 in 2022, and 5 in 2021. Six of the deaths in 2025 were of Mexican origin. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Telemundo [3/3/2026 12:05 AM, Shelby Bremer, 56K] reports an asylum seeker who has been detained at the Otay Mesa detention center for 17 months was hospitalized on Sunday after several days on a hunger strike, according to his family and lawyer, who said that a legal visit to her client, whose health is deteriorating, has been denied. The man, whom NBC 7 identifies as Alex, arrived in the United States in 2024, scheduled an appointment through CBP One, and presented himself at the border to request asylum, according to his attorney, Linette Tobin. He fled his home country, whose identity NBC 7 is not revealing for his safety, fearing persecution. "It’s not because of anything he’s done," Tobin said. "It’s not because he’s committed a crime or because he’s accused of a crime, but because of what he believes and who he is." Tobin claims he was detained throughout his asylum application process, which was denied. He has since appealed and is again awaiting a decision in the backlogged immigration system. “He’s been in prison for a year and a half, and he could easily face two more years,” Tobin said, noting the surge in cases and the nationwide layoffs of immigration judges. “It could be longer than that. He’s just waiting for his case to be resolved. But that’s how slow the process is.” Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not responded to a request for comment on Alex’s case. “She is a very sweet, very kind and gentle person,” said her sister, who asked to be identified as Lana. She said Alex loves dance, theater, and art. To cheer him up during his first year in detention, Alex drew pictures for other detainees and the guards, according to Lana. “He tried so hard to improve everything, and whenever someone new arrived and was depressed, he would help them,” she said. “It’s truly awful for me to see his spirits and hope fading.” Tobin said they filed a habeas corpus petition in federal court to request his release, but that it was also denied in late February. “Our habeas corpus judge was an exceptional case. The vast majority of district judges across the country approve these cases and release these people,” he said. “But judges are assigned to people randomly, so you never know who you’re going to get.” Both Tobin and Lana said that was the final straw for Alex, who began a hunger strike. He had been on strike for 10 days since Monday. “I was already worried because the food situation there was very bad, with no fresh fruit or vegetables, so he wasn’t very healthy,” Lana said. “I was very scared and tried to talk him out of it. But then he said, ‘I can’t take it anymore. I can’t just sit here doing nothing. It’s the last thing I can do.’ And he said he was prepared to die for it.” "He’s so terrified of being sent back," Tobin added, "that it might as well be that, and that’s what he’d prefer. At least he’d be in their hands." Tobin said he is so desperate that he offered to give up his asylum case and be deported to Mexico, but ICE rejected that request. “Instead of doing that, the United States government continues to pay every day for him to be imprisoned,” Tobin said.

Washington Times [3/2/2026 6:01 PM, Stephen Dinan, 1323K] reports the Justice Department has quietly taken steps to shut down what it calls an administrative “amnesty” that has allowed illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S. without ever having to face court-ordered deportations. The Board of Immigration Appeals told immigration judges in a ruling Friday that they are no longer allowed to shunt cases onto their inactive dockets on the chance that migrants might have a path to some legal status years in the future. Experts said the decision could apply to hundreds of thousands of cases. At issue is “administrative closure,” when an immigration judge faces a deportation case but doesn’t issue a ruling either granting benefits or ordering deportation. Instead, the case is punted to the inactive docket. Given that migrants with valid claims usually push for an affirmative ruling, most of those cases are people who probably deserve deportation, an administration official told The Washington Times. Use of administrative closure has surged in recent years, leaving a massive pool of illegal immigrants whom U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement can’t reach. The administration official referred to them as the equivalent of border “got-aways,” or illegal immigrants who evaded capture by the Border Patrol and managed to disappear into the county’s interior. “It not only adds to the illegal alien population but creates a pull factor to encourage other illegal aliens to come,” the official said.

Daily Caller [3/2/2026 1:23 PM, Mary Rooke, 803K] reports that Police identified the suspect in the terror attack in Austin, Texas, that left two innocent people dead and four others injured Saturday. His 2000s-era visa is a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities embedded in America’s immigration system. Ndiaga Diagne, a 53-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Senegal, opened fire outside an Austin, Texas, bar, before being fatally shot by police, according to authorities. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the attack as a potential act of terrorism due to the suspect’s clothing, which had “Property of Allah” text and an Iranian flag design, a Quran found in his vehicle, and the ominous timing of his attack, just one day after U.S. military strikes on Iran. Diagne’s path to citizenship, navigated through legal channels under previous administrations, exposes a system riddled with flaws that worsened under the Biden administration’s open-border policies. Americans are becoming more aware that the barbarians are already occupying our city, and they got here using our broken immigration system. Diagne first entered the U.S. in March 2000 under a B-2 tourist visa during the Clinton administration, according to multiple reports. The non-immigrant visa, intended for short-term visits, allowed him to stay for up to six months, with possible extensions. Yet, Diagne allegedly overstayed, remaining in the country for years, enjoying a common loophole in a system that lacks robust enforcement mechanisms.

Breitbart [3/3/2026 1:55 AM, Neil Munro, 2238K] reports Oklahoma’s Republican governor says states should be allowed to provide work permits to migrants — whatever the inevitable damage to citizens and workplace investment. "We need to match employers with [migrant] employees, and the states need to control those [migrant] workforce permits," Gov. Kevin Stitt, who also owns a bank that lends to businesses and homebuyers, told NPR’s Steve Inskeep. Migrants can take jobs in Oklahoma construction, hotels, farming, and in Boeing’s aircraft-upgrade facility, said Stitt, whose banking firm has been penalized by oversight agencies in other states. If Americans do not like state-run migration programs, Stitt said, "you can choose to move to another state.” "That’s the kind of stuff [GOP governors] have been pushing for for decades," said Grant Newsman, the advocacy chief at the Immigration Accountability Project. He added: They’re just looking at their own self-interests, and their self-interest is for stock prices to go up, for profits to go up … [by reducing] their labor costs … Unfortunately, there is still an establishment section of the Republican Party that feels this way. Yet the NPR interviewer was more interested in Stitt’s connection to Indian ancestry than in Stitt’s radical corporatist plan to strip American citizens of their ability to earn a decent wage in the job market flooded by young and desperate migrants. "I want people to know, if they don’t, that you’re an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation: What does that identity mean to you personally?" Inskeep instead asked Stitt. By subscribing, you agree to our terms of use & privacy policy. You will receive email marketing messages from Breitbart News Network to the email you provide. You may unsubscribe at any time. Stitt repeatedly justified his plan to sideline Americans by allowing governors and companies to import replacement workers: I went down and talked to a rural part of our state. These are Trump-voting Oklahomans from the rural part of our state. And I asked them these questions. I said, "What are you guys thinking about this immigration issue?"… [They] said, "Governor, Trump won, he won on the issue of border security, we absolutely need to vet people coming into our country, we absolutely need to get criminals out.” But they also whispered to me, and they said, "I run a construction company, I own a comany that does this [or that], I’m a farmer, and I have some illegals that work for me, and they’re like family. They’ve been here for 15 years. They go to church with us. Their kids go to school. They’re great people. They’re trying to get workforce permits, and we can’t figure it out." That’s why they’re saying, "Governor, you need as the governor to be able to issue these workforce permits so they can pay taxes, they can be here legally, and they can work.”

DailySignal [3/2/2026 1:56 PM, Virginia Allen, 474K] reports that a chief concern following the launch of Operation Epic Fury is Iranian-backed terrorist cells in the United States, security experts are warning. It is impossible to know who crossed the border during the four years of the Biden administration, "but we do know there were a number of folks on the terrorist watch list," said Victoria Coates, vice president of the Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at The Heritage Foundation. It is critical, Coates warned, that "everybody pay attention right now. Watch. If you see something, say something." U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered nearly 400 illegal aliens with "terrorism-related records" between ports of entry during the Biden administration, according to the agency’s data. Additionally, about two million "known gotaways" crossed the border to enter the U.S. during the four years of Joe Biden’s presidency, according to the House Homeland Security Committee. "So, it is entirely possible in those millions of folks who came across … that there were Hezbollah sleeper cells coming up from Venezuela, which we know Nicolas Maduro was pushing them to do, and that they could be here in the United States," Coates told The Daily Signal. "These folks aren’t geniuses, but they’re deeply, deeply dangerous, and they can spring up anywhere," she said. "And so, my biggest concern is actually here at home." Following the launch of the U.S.-Israel attack, Iran is a bit like "a wild animal in a cage – cornered, boxed in," Jacob Olidort, director of American Security at the America First Policy Institute, told The Daily Signal.

Federalist [3/2/2026 7:35 AM, M. D. Kittle, 540K] reports as of late Sunday, at least three U.S. military members will be coming home in caskets — among the first casualties of the Trump administration’s "regime change" campaign in Iran. There will "likely be more" to come in the days ahead, President Donald Trump warned. He said U.S. operations in Iran will continue continue until all of the administration’s objectives are met. The details of those objectives remained foggy Sunday. While the days-old military operation is far from Mission Accomplished, it did check off a significant box: taking out Iran’s evil-as-poison supreme leader, or the "avuncular and magnanimous" religious scholar as the inexhaustible clown car that is New York Times described a guy who legitimately could be likened to Adolf Hitler. Old Uncle Khamenei is dead now, and presumably checking into hotel hell (You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave). But the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s army of Islamist whack jobs live on to fight in his perverted, unholy war against the United States, Israel, and the western world at large. We may already be seeing that jihad’s first casualties at home in response to the military operations in Iran. A gunman who killed two and injured 14 others outside a bar in Austin early Sunday morning was wearing a "Property of Allah" sweatshirt and a t-shirt underneath bearing an Iranian flag, authorities told multiple news outlets. The Senegalese national, who was fatally shot by responding officers, was a nationalized U.S. citizen, law enforcement said. At a press conference, Alex Doran, a special agent with the FBI’s San Antonio field office, said there were "indicators" found on the shooter and in his vehicle of a "potential nexus to terrorism." U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials have warned for a while that the Biden administration’s open-border policies have exposed the nation to thousands of known and suspected terrorists among the millions of illegal immigrants that poured into the United States between 2021 and early 2025. How many will be emboldened to die for the jihadist cause and harm Americans inside America? What are their marching orders now that the leader of the world’s top sponsor of terrorism is dead and his regime is under attack by the two nations Khamenei and crew have vowed to wipe off the map? What will the war to give Iranians the chance to "seize control" of their destiny mean for U.S. homeland security? We’re about to find out.

Miami Herald [3/3/2026 2:21 AM, Miguel A. Melendez, 2736K] reports that, if the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Department of Homeland Security get their way, several laws will be waived to build a border wall that would run right through Big Bend National Park in Texas. In a notice DHS shared last month, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claims that "it is necessary to waive certain laws, regulations, and other legal requirements in order to ensure the expeditious construction of barriers and roads in the vicinity of the international land border in the state of Texas.” The agency claims a border wall at the popular national park is needed because the U.S. Border Patrol Big Bend Sector "is an area of high illegal entry.” The U.S. Customs and Border Protection released an interactive map that shows where the proposed 1,954-mile border between the U.S. and Mexico would be built. The so-called "Smart Wall" would include "a combination of primary and secondary steel bollard wall, waterborne barriers, patrol roads, and the technology required to tie it all together, such as cameras, lights, and other detection technology.” A Wall Would ‘Choke Vital Wildlife’. As news of the proposed wall spread, activists began petitions to have the proposal shelved. The National Parks Conservation Association released a blistering statement, claiming that the border wall would cause "irreparable damage to one of our country’s most iconic national parks.” "Building a border wall through Big Bend National Park would choke off vital wildlife migration routes [and] intensify flooding risks," the statement read, in part. The statement continued, "Big Bend is no place for a border wall. Harsh desert conditions and unforgiving mountain terrain already form natural barriers that discourage unsanctioned border crossings. The detection technology initially proposed for the region would not have as significant an impact to the landscape as a physical barrier. Customs and Border Protection already maintains a presence in Big Bend, given its status as a borderland park, and the current system is not presenting undue burdens on the park. Building a wall here makes no logistical sense and only serves to harm the region’s wild scenery and thriving community-based tourism economy.” There’s a Change.org petition that has already surpassed 57,000 signatures opposing the border wall. "If erected, this wall would have detrimental, irreversible impacts on the wildlife that call this pristine place home. According to a preliminary federal notice, The Trump Administration is waiving federal protections to build the wall, including protections like the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act and a variety of wildlife and historic resources protection laws," the petition reads. " ... Building a physical wall through this section of border would not only be devastating to the local flora and fauna, it would ruin one of the most incredible parcels of public land in the Lone Star State.”

The Hill [3/2/2026 6:00 AM, Alexander Bolton, 18170K] reports Republican and Democratic senators are quietly mulling ways to limit the impact of a prolonged government shutdown on air travel and, by extension, the broader U.S. economy amid a stalemate on funding the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). TSA officers are set to miss their first round of paychecks later this week, which has lawmakers in both parties bracing for rising absences at the agency and growing lines at airports around the country. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and other Republicans are now floating the idea of shifting some of the funding Congress allocated in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year for border security and immigration enforcement to airport security during the shutdown. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) says he’s open to the idea of letting the Trump administration shift money that was allocated in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to allow TSA agents to continue to get paid during an extended shutdown. “I’m open to the idea, but I want to see a good-faith effort by the Republicans in the Senate and the administration to deal with the ICE problem,” Durbin said, referring to ICE’s aggressive tactics in Minneapolis, which have sparked a national backlash. Democrats could be under increased pressure this week to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, even if Republicans don’t agree to their demands for ICE reform, as the military conflict in Iran could pose new domestic terrorism risks to the United States.

Houston Chronicle [3/2/2026 5:43 PM, Caroline Wilburn, 2493K] reports Houston airports are preparing to welcome more than 2 million travelers in the coming weeks, as international travel is expected to surge for spring break. George Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby airports will see roughly 2.2 million travelers from March 5-16, a 3% increase from last year, according to a news release from the Houston Airport System. Friday will be the peak day for departures, with more than 184,000 passengers across both airports. Top overall destinations include Cancun, Las Vegas, Austin and Phoenix, while top international destinations include Cancun, Panama City and San José, Costa Rica, according to the release. The increase in travel comes amid the potential for long airport security wait times due to a partial government shutdown that has entered its second week. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security last week announced a pause of the Global Entry program and TSA PreCheck due to the shutdown; however, it lifted the TSA PreCheck halt a few hours later. The Global Entry program remains suspended. TSA workers will only receive a portion of their paycheck this week, which could lead to more airport delays and staffing shortages, CNN reported. Airport officials on Sunday said passengers may experience longer-than-normal wait times at TSA checkpoints and encouraged travelers to arrive early for screening.

Daily Caller [3/2/2026 11:39 PM, Andrew Powell, 803K] reports that, from Wednesday into the weekend, locations from Texas to Illinois will be a target of multiple waves of severe weather, which will feature risks of tornadoes, hurricane-force winds, flooding and hail. The majority of thunderstorms will form across the edge dividing amplifying warm and humid air out of the Gulf of America and crispier air pushing southward from Canada. The center focus will be along areas of the Mississippi Valley and Great Plains. Wednesday will see the first round of severe weather, which will take place in northeastern and central Texas upwards through central and southern Missouri, southeastern Kansas and southern Illinois. The biggest threats of the severe weather will be huge hail and hurricane-force gusts, with AccuWeather’s Local StormMax registering at 80 mph. Tornadoes could also be generated from some of the most intense storms. When we get to Thursday, the atmosphere will be reloaded across zones in the same area. In the evening and throughout the night, the risk of severe weather will expand from central and northwestern Texas through central and western Oklahoma, as well as south-central Kansas. Isolated tornadoes, flooding, hail, damaging wind – it’s all in the forecast this week from the Texas hill country through much of the Plains and into the Ohio Valley. pic.twitter.com/rqmEx6uIEc. Thursday night, the tornado risk appears to be low, however, the heftiest storms will be capable of producing hail and strong gusts. The threat of severe weather will shift east Friday, widening from central Texas towards southwestern and central Missouri. The potential for multiple tornadoes will be present along with hail and gusts. More waves of severe weather will take place along a portion of the same location, and in zones further south and east, into the weekend. In every round, the risk of severe weather could persist throughout the night, elevating the situation — particularly if tornadoes form after the sun goes down. Overall, the weather pattern will heighten the flooding threat. A lot of the rainfall could be advantageous going into the growing season following drought conditions for months, however, isolated zones could experience a large amount of rainfall too rapidly, enlarging the urban flooding threat and risk of small stream flash flooding.

Bloomberg [3/2/2026 10:20 AM, Daniel Seiden, 50K] reports that Indiana-based Columbus Regional Hospital settled a nearly eight-year case alleging FEMA breached a contract by improperly de-obligating disaster relief funds the hospital received after severe storms in 2008. Columbus, which had sought nearly $10 million, and the US government filed Feb. 27 a joint stipulation of dismissal with the US Court of Federal Claims. Terms of the parties’ settlement weren’t made available. Neither counsel for Columbus nor the US Justice Department immediately responded to a request for comment. The court dismissed the suit in 2019, finding that it lacked jurisdiction over the claim the agency improperly disallowed costs to rebuild… [Editorial note: consult extended commentary at source link]

New York Times [3/2/2026 1:05 PM, Santul Nerkar, 148038K] reports that a plot to assassinate political officials was mapped out on a napkin in a cheap hotel, with a vape representing a target that investigators believed to be Donald J. Trump. The accused plotter, according to federal prosecutors, a Pakistani man named Asif Merchant, discussed the scheme in cryptic terms with another Pakistani man he believed was his accomplice, but was secretly recording their conversations for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Last week, on the first day of a trial in Federal District Court in Brooklyn, prosecutors showed jurors a video in which Mr. Merchant discussed the plan with an informant. Mr. Merchant was arrested in July 2024 after investigators said he, backed by the Iranian government, plotted to kill American public officials, including, they believed, Mr. Trump. He faces life in prison if he is convicted of terrorism charges. While the accusations and the geopolitical backdrop are quite serious, testimony and evidence has so far painted an image of Mr. Merchant as a zealous yet bumbling operative who never came close to executing a murder plot. The trial is unfolding as a conflict grows in the Middle East, where the United States and Israel bombarded Iran over the weekend. So far, Iran’s top leaders have been killed, including those the U.S. government says are responsible for orchestrating terror attacks and assassinations.

Bloomberg Industry Group Bloomberg [3/2/2026 5:00 AM, Cassandre Coyer, 763K] reports a partial government shutdown threatens to further derail a key federal cybersecurity agency’s incident reporting rule—and delay answers that companies need to comply. The Department of Homeland Security shutdown, now entering its third week, may push back the finish line for a Biden-era rule that would create stringent disclosure requirements for critical infrastructure entities after cybersecurity incidents like ransomware attacks. The lapse in funding came just days after an announcement from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in February that it wanted additional feedback on the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act rule, which marked the first substantial update on the rule since companies submitted comments in June 2024. At the time, they had largely pushed back against the scope of the regulation. The rulemaking’s hazy timeline puts companies in a difficult spot: having to prepare to both try and shape the Trump administration’s approach to the rule’s requirements and enforcement plans, as well as the scope, and begin addressing the regulation’s unique compliance demands.

Federal News Network [3/2/2026 4:59 PM, Justin Doubleday, 1297K] reports Shelly Hartsook led CISA efforts to improve cybersecurity capacity governmentwide. Her departure continues a steady string of resignations at the cyber agency. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is losing another key leader who has played a critical role in spearheading governmentwide cyber defenses. Shelly Hartsook, acting associate director in CISA’s cybersecurity division, announced her resignation today, two sources confirmed to Federal News Network. The sources, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said Hartsook’s departure was voluntary, though it comes at an uncertain time for the cyber defense agency. One of the sources said Hartsook’s last day at CISA will be March 6.

CyberScoop [3/2/2026 4:10 PM, Tim Starks, 122K] reports the FBI’s cyber chief is prioritizing preparation for stepped-up Chinese threats, enhanced confrontation of adversaries in cyberspace and quicker intelligence sharing with industry as the bureau enters the second and final month of a unique cybersecurity awareness campaign. Brett Leatherman, who took over as assistant director of the FBI’s cyber division last summer, listed those topics as his three top priorities in a recent interview with CyberScoop. At least two of them overlap considerably with the bureau’s current awareness campaign, Operation Winter SHIELD. It’s the kind of thing that might normally be more expected to come out of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which once had its own shield-themed campaign, rather than the FBI. ‘We’ve never done a media campaign like this before,” he said. “But while it’s atypical for a law enforcement agency to do this kind of technical media campaign, we thought it was incredibly important because it translates that law enforcement perspective [into] meaningful ways that industry can move the needle towards increased resilience across critical infrastructure, industry, government agencies and beyond.”

CyberScoop [3/2/2026 3:10 PM, Matt Kapko, 122K] reports Google disclosed one actively exploited zero-day vulnerability Monday, warning that the high-severity defect affecting an open-source Qualcomm display component for Android devices “may be under limited, targeted exploitation.” The memory-corruption vulnerability — CVE-2026-21385 — which Google’s Android security team reported to Qualcomm Dec. 18, affects 234 chipsets, Qualcomm said in a security bulletin. Qualcomm said it notified customers of the vulnerability Feb. 2. Qualcomm declined to say when the earliest known instance of exploitation occurred, how many victims have been directly impacted, and what occurred during the 10-week period between the reporting and public disclosure of the vulnerability. “We commend the researchers from Google’s Threat Analysis Group for using coordinated disclosure practices,” a Qualcomm spokesperson told CyberScoop. “Fixes were made available to our customers in January 2026. We encourage end users to apply security updates as they become available from device makers.” A Google spokesperson said Qualcomm marked the vulnerability as exploited. “We don’t have any info or access to the exploit reports,” the spokesperson added.

EdScoop [3/3/2026 12:10 AM, Staff, 5K] reports the University of Hawaii’s Cancer Center has confirmed that a recent ransomware attack led to the personal information of as many as 1.2 million people being compromised, The Record reported. The actors responsible for the attack are thought to have accessed records containing Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers and voter registration records. The university disclosed in January that the attack had been discovered in August of last year. “Due to the extensiveness of the encryption by the threat actors, it took some time for UH to restore the affected systems and be in a position to assess the impact to data,” read a report issued by the university. “While the investigation was underway, UH made the difficult decision to engage with the threat actors in order to protect the individuals whose sensitive information may have been compromised.” Despite the data having been compromised, university officials said there was no evidence data had been misused.

New York Post [3/2/2026 6:34 PM, Joe Marino and David Propper, 40934K] reports the NYPD is drastically beefing up patrols around Jewish institutions across the five boroughs over the next day in response to the ongoing war in Iran, officials said Monday. The police department is adding hundreds of cops to watch over various Jewish centers and neighborhoods on top of the typical patrols in those areas, according to authorities. The extra security will last at least the next 24 hours through the end of the Jewish holiday Purim and also follows the deadly mass shooting in Austin that investigators are probing as a terror-related attack. The NYPD will tap into resources from counterterrorism and other specialized teams to help with that effort, the department said. "The NYPD continues to closely monitor the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East. Following the mass shooting in Austin, Texas, and as Jewish communities celebrate Purim, we will maintain enhanced high-visibility patrols to sensitive locations citywide," the department said in a tweet earlier Monday. "This is due to the heightened threat environment and out of an abundance of caution.” Since the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on the Islamic Republic, the NYPD said it has been increasing police presence at various spots in the city. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a PIX 11 interview Monday that he is in regular contact with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and Office of Emergency Management leaders over the added security. "And we made the decision to not only increase agency coordination in light of what’s been happening, but also to increase patrols of sensitive locations and all of this is out of abundance of caution, but we want to make sure we’re taking every measure we can to not just keep New Yorkers safe, but to also reassure them," Mamdani said.

AP [3/2/2026 6:20 PM, Jeff Martin] reports the Georgia father of an accused school shooter could have prevented an attack that left two students and two teachers dead and many others wounded at a school northeast of Atlanta in 2024, a prosecutor said in her closing argument. Jimmy Berry, a lawyer for the father, Colin Gray, agreed that what the dad knew ahead of time was of paramount importance in the case. Gray’s son, Colt Gray, is accused of bringing a rifle his father had given him for Christmas to his school and killing two students and two teachers and wounding many others. The trial began three weeks ago with jury selection. Deliberations are expected Tuesday morning. The trial is one of the latest cases in which parents are being put on trial after their children are accused in fatal shootings, defense lawyers called Colin Gray to the witness stand. He testified Friday that he gave his son a rifle as a Christmas present in hopes of bonding with the boy over hunting and outings at the gun range. Prosecutors say he should be held accountable for giving his son the weapon despite alleged threats and warning signs that the boy was mentally unstable. The father faces 29 counts, including two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

CNN [3/2/2026 5:18 PM, Eric Levenson, 19874K] reports there are two people responsible for the mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on September 4, 2024, a Barrow County prosecutor said in court Monday. One is Colt Gray, the then-14-year-old who used an AR-15-style rifle to kill two teachers and two students and wound nine others. The other is his father, Colin Gray, who prosecutors argue allowed his son access to the firearm and ammunition despite receiving sufficient warnings of his danger to others. Those actions constitute a "conscious disregard for a substantial and unjustifiable risk" and "criminal negligence," prosecutor Patricia Brooks said, asking the jury to find the father guilty of murder and manslaughter. The closing arguments come after a two-week trial that has focused on what Colin Gray knew about his son leading up to the mass shooting at Apalachee High. The jury is expected to begin deliberations Tuesday morning. He has pleaded not guilty to more than 25 charges, including two counts each of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. The jury can also consider lesser charges of manslaughter if they cannot reach a verdict on the murder counts, the judge said. The trial is part of a broader push to hold more people accountable for a school shooting, including the shooter’s parents and responding law enforcement officers. This case bears close similarities to the trials and convictions of James and Jennifer Crumbley, whose then-15-year-old son killed four students in 2021 at his high school in Oxford, Michigan. Colt Gray has admitted to the shooting, according to authorities. Now 16, he has pleaded not guilty to 55 felony counts, including four counts of malice murder. A trial date has not been set.

Reported similarly:
New York Times [3/2/2026 4:57 PM, Rick Rojas and Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon, 148038K]

AP [3/2/2026 2:45 PM, Julie Carr Smyth and Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos, 35287K] reports that federal authorities joined local police Monday in the search for a suspect in a weekend nightclub shooting in Cincinnati that wounded nine people. The nine were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries after shots rang out around 1 a.m. Sunday inside the music venue Riverfront Live. Interim Cincinnati Police Chief Adam Hennie said all the victims were in stable condition. The FBI was working with the Cincinnati Police Department on the investigation, said spokesperson Todd Lindgren, and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives offered a $5,000 reward for information identifying a suspect. Though it occurred almost simultaneously to a deadly bar shooting in Austin, Texas, which is being investigated as a potential act of terrorism, authorities in Ohio have not provided any details about a motive in the Cincinnati shooting. Bill Halusek, spokesperson for the Cincinnati ATF, said that at this time, the Cincinnati shooting is not suspected to be an act of terrorism. Jermaine Tandy, also known as DJ Fresh, was hosting a birthday celebration at the venue, according to a post on his Facebook page. Management representing DJ Fresh said they were "devastated" by the events that took place during the celebration.

Chicago Tribune [3/2/2026 10:15 AM, Jason Meisner, 5209K] reports a reputed high-ranking member of the Sinaloa drug cartel has been indicted on federal charges in Chicago alleging he ran security and helped the sons of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman-Loera smuggle and distribute large quantities of narcotics into the U.S. Jesus Omar Ibarra Felix, also known by the alias "El Chuta," was charged in the four-count indictment made public Friday with distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl, using machine guns to facilitate drug trafficking, and providing material support for a foreign terrorist organization. The indictment alleged that beginning in about 2017, Felix served as a "plaza boss" for the Ahome, Sinaloa region in Mexico, where he was responsible for narcotics distribution activities of Chapo’s four sons, who are collectively known as the "Chapitos." In addition to facilitating the movement of drugs into the U.S., Felix led an armed security group known as Las Fuerzas Especiales de Chuta, or "The Special Forces of Chuta," which protected the conspiracy and "engaged in armed conflict" on behalf of the Guzman faction of the cartel, according to the indictment. Felix, 45, is not in custody and is believed to be at large in Mexico. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

AP [3/2/2026 6:50 PM, Jim Vertuno and Audrey McAvoy, 3833K] reports a gunman in Texas opened fire on a crowded bar in Austin’s busy nightlife district over the weekend before being fatally shot by police in an attack that authorities were investigating as a potential act of terrorism. The shooting early Sunday killed two people and wounded 14 others. The suspect was wearing clothes with an Iranian flag design and the words “Property of Allah,” a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The mass shooting happened after the U.S. and Israel launched an attack on Iran. The FBI and Austin police said they were still looking into the motive behind the attack, which sent people in the bar and surrounding streets scrambling for cover. Police said the gunman drove past Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden before circling back and firing the first shots from his SUV at people on the sidewalk and inside the bar early Sunday. Some college students dove for cover while others were motionless inside the bar and across the street next to a food truck, trying to understand what was happening. The shooting stopped for a moment. The police chief said the suspect parked, got out with a rifle and began shooting at others before officers rushed to the intersection and shot him. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis identified the two victims as 21-year-old Savitha Shan and 19-year-old Ryder Harrington. Harrington joined the Beta Theta Pi fraternity at Texas Tech University in 2024, the fraternity said in an Instagram post. Both the FBI and police in Austin said Monday that it’s too soon to identify the motive. Police identified the gunman as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne. The gunman legally bought the pistol and rifle he used in the attack several years ago in San Antonio, the police chief said. Diagne was originally from Senegal, according to multiple people briefed on the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation. He first entered the U.S in 2000 on a B-2 tourist visa, becoming a lawful permanent resident six years later after marrying a U.S. citizen, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Associated Press reporters on Monday were unable to reach Diagne’s family members in the Austin area or his ex-wife, who recently was listed as living near San Antonio. A person who answered the door at a house listed for his ex-wife declined to comment and told a reporter to talk with investigators.

NewsMax [3/2/2026 10:34 AM, Charlie McCarthy, 3760K] reports the alleged gunman in the Austin mass shooting early Sunday reportedly entered the United States in 2000 and became a citizen 13 years later, authorities said. Authorities identified the suspect as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, who was shot and killed by police after opening fire outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden in the city’s Sixth Street entertainment district. Two people were killed and at least 14 others were injured in the attack, according to Austin police. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed to local news outlet KXAN that Diagne entered the United States on March 13, 2000, on a B-2 tourist visa. In 2006, he became a lawful permanent resident after marrying a U.S. citizen and was later naturalized on April 5, 2013. Public records show Diagne later lived in the Austin area, including in Pflugerville, and was issued a Texas driver’s license in 2017. DHS said he had no known criminal history beyond a 2022 arrest related to a vehicle collision. Investigators are examining whether the attack may have been inspired by the escalating U.S. military campaign against Iran.

Reuters [3/2/2026 3:24 PM, Brad Brooks and Jana Winter, 38315K] reports authorities investigating a mass shooting at a bar in Austin, Texas, that killed at least two people said on Monday it was too early to say if the gunman was motivated by the war in Iran. The body of the gunman, who was killed by police, was seen in a photo obtained by Reuters wearing a shirt with an Iranian flag and "IRAN" spelled out in green, white and red across the front. He was also wearing a sweatshirt that said "Property of Allah" on it, a government official told Reuters. Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio field office, said the bureau was investigating any links to terror, but that it was just one of "multiple other avenues" agents are looking at. Davis identified the two people killed at the scene of the shooting as Savitha Shan, 24, and Ryder Harrington, 22. She said that another person who was shot was expected to be taken off life support later on Monday. Law enforcement officials said the suspect had a history of mental ⁠health conditions, according to an internal update from the National Counterterrorism Center reviewed by Reuters. The shooter was identified as Ndiaga Diagne, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Senegal, according to the Counterterrorism Center’s update. On Sunday, authorities said that 14 other people were injured.

New York Times [3/2/2026 5:48 PM, Thomas Fuller, 148038K] reports investigators are looking into whether a man who killed two people and injured a dozen more outside a bar in Austin, Texas, over the weekend was motivated by the war in Iran, officials said Monday. The suspect, Ndiaga Diagne, 53, a naturalized American citizen originally from Senegal, was killed by police officers after the attack in the early hours of Sunday. He was wearing a sweatshirt that said “Property of Allah,” and a T-shirt with the colors of the Iranian flag, officials said. Lisa Davis, Austin’s police chief, described the clothing as “indicators” and said her department had called in federal law enforcement for help understanding the motive for the shooting. The attack came around 26 hours after the United States and Israel began military strikes against Iran on Saturday. On Sunday, Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of the F.B.I.’s San Antonio division, called the Austin shooting “potentially an act of terrorism.” But on Monday, Mr. Doran said that Mr. Diagne was “not previously on our radar” and that assigning a motive would be premature. The two people killed were identified by the authorities as Savitha Shan and Ryder Harrington. A third victim is expected to be taken off life support, Chief Davis said. The attack has fed rising anti-Muslim sentiment in Texas, with several conservative politicians calling for curtailed legal immigration.

CBS News [3/2/2026 10:14 AM, Brian Dakss, Pat Milton, Anna Schecter, Camilo Montoya-Galvez, and Nicole Sganga, 51110K] reports CBS News has obtained a new photo of the gunman who police say killed two people and wounded 14 at a bar in Austin, Texas. The photo shows the gunman, Ndiaga Diagne, after he was killed by police. It shows the clothing he was wearing during the attack, including a shirt with a design similar to the Iranian flag. Asked about the shirt during a news conference Monday, Alex Doran, the acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s field office in San Antonio, told reporters that investigators were looking into what connections the shooter may have had. "Any declarations on what led to that motive would be premature," Doran said. The shooter was also wearing a sweatshirt that said "Property of Allah" during the attack, according to two sources familiar with the investigation. That description matches a photo obtained by Fox News that appears to show the gunman carrying a long gun. Police identified the deceased victims as Ryder Harrington, 19, and Savitha Shan, 21. During a news conference Monday, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said another victim was expected to be taken off of life support. Two other people were in critical condition. Davis said authorities were still in the early phase of the investigation. "Our priority is finding answers and the motives behind this crime," she said.

Reported similarly:
Blaze [3/2/2026 9:24 AM, Joseph MacKinnon, 1556K]

Breitbart [3/2/2026 11:13 AM, Randy Clark, 2238K] reports on Sunday, investigators executed a search warrant on the Pflugerville, Texas home of Ndiaga Diagne, the deceased gunman responsible for the deadly Austin shooting that occurred earlier in the day. According to a source familiar with the investigation, law enforcement officials found an Iranian flag and photos of leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran during a search of the home. According to a CBS News report, an undisclosed source with direct knowledge of the investigation provided information about the discoveries made at Diagne’s home. The shooter’s identity was revealed by authorities within hours of the shooting as FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force investigators and local authorities combed through the downtown Austin crime scene. According to authorities, Diagne was a resident of Pflugerville, Texas, and was 53 years old. Diagne, a Senegalese national, first entered the United States from Senegal in 2000 using a B-2 visitor visa. Diagne married a United States citizen in 2013 and later obtained United States citizenship through the naturalization process as a result of the marriage. No additional information regarding the motive has been released by authorities.

CNN [3/3/2026 3:00 AM, Elizabeth Wolfe, 612K] reports that, as a large SUV rolled past a block of Austin’s lively bars and late-night crowds in Sunday’s early hours, a sweatshirted arm reached out the driver’s side window with a pistol and began to pull the trigger. Over the course of just one minute, the gunman sailed down the city’s bustling Sixth Street and then exited his car, firing off even more bullets, ultimately killing three people and injuring 13 others before he was fatally shot by police. The suspect, 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, was wearing a hoodie emblazoned with the words “Property of Allah,” a picture obtained by CNN shows. Law enforcement later found Diagne - who was fatally shot by police - was wearing a T-shirt stamped with an Iranian flag design, according to a source. Though investigators have kept details close to the vest, they are probing whether the Texas shooting was inspired by this weekend’s strikes on Iran by the US and Israel, multiple law enforcement officials briefed on the case said. Diagne, a Senegalese immigrant-turned US citizen, was not on the radar of local police nor the FBI before Sunday’s attack, officials said at a Monday news conference. Now, his personal life, criminal history and private affiliations are under extreme scrutiny as investigators dissect his motive. Diagne made his way to the United States from his home country of Senegal, initially settling in New York before moving to Texas, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation told CNN. Diagne entered the US on March 13, 2000, on a B‑2 tourist visa, a Department of Homeland Security official told CNN. These nonimmigrant visas are intended for visitors traveling to the US temporarily, such as for vacation or visiting family. Diagne married a US citizen, allowing him to adjust his status to lawful permanent resident in June 2006, the DHS official said. He became a naturalized citizen on April 5, 2013. CNN has been unable to confirm the identity of Diagne’s wife or whether they are still married. Though it is unclear when Diagne relocated to Texas, public records indicate he was still a resident of Bronx, New York, in the late 2010s. Since moving to the Lone Star State, he has had multiple addresses, the law enforcement official told CNN. Diagne’s motive is still unclear, but items discovered during the investigation have led authorities to consider whether the attack was an act of domestic terrorism or motivated by the nascent US war with Iran, multiple law enforcement officials briefed on the case have said. “Obviously, it’s still way too early in the process to determine an exact motivation, but there were indicators on the subject and then his vehicle that indicate a potential nexus to terrorism,” Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio division, said Sunday morning.

FOX News [3/2/2026 4:39 PM, Paul Steinhauser, Alex Miller, 37576K] reports in the aftermath of a shooting rampage in Texas by a gunman who was a naturalized citizen from Africa, state Attorney General Ken Paxton says that authorities "have to do a better job vetting people when they come here." Paxton, who’s challenging longtime Sen. John Cornyn for the Republican Senate nomination in Tuesday’s primary, was commenting about this weekend’s shooting in Austin, Texas, that left three people, including the gunman, dead, and more than a dozen injured. The suspect, identified as Ndiaga Diagne, was a 53-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Senegal and lived in Pflugerville, Texas, multiple federal law enforcement sources told Fox News. Diagne was wearing a sweatshirt that read "Property of Allah" and an undershirt featuring an Iranian flag when he carried out the attack, according to law enforcement sources. And authorities also said they found an Iranian flag and photos of regime leaders in Diagne’s apartment. The Department of Homeland Security said that Diagne entered the United States on a tourist visa in 2000, and in 2006 became a lawful permanent resident after marrying a U.S. citizen in 2006. He was naturalized seven years later.

Washington Times [3/2/2026 4:33 PM, Matt Delaney, 1323K] reports Texas authorities on Monday named the two slain victims from this weekend’s deadly mass shooting in Austin that also left 14 others wounded. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis identified the victims as Ryder Harrington, 19, and 21-year-old Savitha Shan. Chief Davis also said one of the critically wounded victims was expected to be removed from life support. Two others who were shot early Sunday are still fighting for their lives in a hospital. Police said the motive of gunman Ndiaga Diagne is still under review. The FBI is leading the investigation and said it is looking into Diagne’s possible links to terrorism. Investigators said Diagne, a native of Senegal who became a naturalized U.S. citizen, legally purchased the handgun and rifle he used for the attack back in 2017. The killer was not on law enforcement’s radar prior to the shooting on Austin’s bustling Sixth Street at about 2 a.m. Sunday, just as the bars were clearing out after last call. Police Chief Davis said officials will provide another update on the shooting Thursday.

NBC News [3/2/2026 12:00 PM, Rebecca Cohen, 42967K] reports that Ryder Harrington and Savitha Shan were the two people killed in an Austin bar shooting early Sunday, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said at a news conference Monday. The shooting unfolded just outside of a popular beer garden in downtown Austin that also left 14 others injured. The suspect, who was fatally shot by officers, had a history of mental illness, sources familiar with the investigation told NBC News. Davis and Alex Doran, a special agent with the San Antonio FBI field office, said the suspect was not a previously known threat to either of their offices. Davis said the guns used in the shooting were acquired legally in San Antonio in 2017. Authorities are still working to determine a motive in the shooting, including whether it was an act of terrorism. Harrington, 19, was a Texas Tech University student, according to social media posts from his siblings and from a local politician. Davis said she believed Shan was around 24 years old but said did not know where the young woman attended college. "Ryder was the best mix of all the Harrington crew," his brother, Reed Harrington, wrote on Facebook in a post confirming his death. He said the entire family appreciates the condolences they have received. A Homeland Security official told NBC News that Diagne first entered the U.S. on March 13, 2000, on a B-2 tourist visa. He became a lawful permanent resident in 2006 based on marriage to a U.S. citizen and a naturalized citizen in 2013, the official said. He was arrested in 2022 in Texas for a collision with vehicle damage, the official said.

Houston Chronicle [3/2/2026 12:05 PM, Staff, 2493K] reports local and federal officials continue to investigate a mass shooting that left four people dead — including the shooter — and 13 others injured in the area surrounding Buford’s, a bar in Austin’s popular West Sixth Street entertainment district, early Sunday morning. Officials have identified the shooting suspect as Ndiaga Diagne, a Senegalese native who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2013. The 53-year-old was shot and killed by Austin police during a rampage that is now being investigated by the FBI as a possible act of terrorism. Although an agency official said it was too early to determine a motive, authorities disclosed that Diagne was wearing clothing that bore an image of the Iranian flag and the words “Property of Allah.” The shooting, which came one day after the U.S. and Israel launched a joint strike on Iran, erupted just before 2 a.m. outside Buford’s bar in the 700 block of West Sixth Street. Authorities have not confirmed any connection.

AP [3/2/2026 2:52 PM, Jim Vertuno and Lekan Oyekanami, 35287K] reports that the gunman who opened fire outside a Texas bar and killed two people in an attack that wounded 14 others was not on the radar of authorities before the attack, federal and local investigators said Monday. Both the FBI and police in Austin said Monday that it’s too soon to identify the motive behind the mass shooting early Sunday. The FBI has said it’s investigating the shooting as a potential act of terrorism, coming after the U.S. and Israel launched an attack on Iran. "Our ultimate goal in everything we do is to determine the motive," Alex Doran, the acting agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio office, said during a news conference. Police identified the gunman as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne. He was wearing clothes with an Iranian flag design and bearing the words "Property of Allah" during the attack, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. Investigators are poring over thousands of hours of video and police said there are more than 150 witnesses to interview. The gunman legally bought the weapons used in the attack several years ago in San Antonio, said Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis. She identified the two victims as 24-year-old Savitha Shan and 22-year-old Ryder Harrington.

CNN [3/2/2026 8:11 PM, Refugio Ruíz and Fabiola Sánchez, 19874K] reports the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel was buried Monday in a shiny golden casket with enormous flower wreaths and a large military presence in the state that gave name to one of Mexico’s most powerful cartels. A federal official confirmed that Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho,” was buried in a cemetery in Zapopan, a suburb of Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city. Dozens of people accompanied the funeral procession, many carrying black umbrellas on a sunny day and with a band playing Mexican regional music known as banda. The official who discussed the location requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case. The Attorney General’s Office declined to confirm the location of El Mencho’s burial for “security reasons.” There had been stepped up security since Sunday around a funeral home where large flower wreaths had been arriving without a name. Some did include the image of a rooster in flowers and Oseguera Cervantes was sometimes called the “Lord of the Roosters.” The Mexican army killed Oseguera Cervantes just over a week ago while attempting to capture him. He died from multiple bullet wounds, according to the death certificate obtained by The Associated Press. The killing set off violence in some 20 states. The death certificate fits with a description of the operation to capture Oseguera Cervantes given by Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla, who had said that the cartel leader and two bodyguards had been badly wounded in a gunfight with soldiers outside a home in Tapalpa, Jalisco. The three died en route to a hospital. The certificate specified that Oseguera Cervantes had bullet wounds to his chest, abdomen and legs. His body was taken to Mexico City where an autopsy was performed and then the body was turned over to his family on Saturday, the Attorney General’s Office said in a brief statement. The death certificate also notes that Oseguera Cervantes was to be buried, standard practice in cases of violent deaths to allow for additional forensic evidence to be gathered if needed in the future. The document did not say where the burial would take place. Authorities’ security concerns surrounding the burial location are well founded. Oseguera Cervantes’ killing set off retaliation by the cartel in numerous states. More than 70 people died between the military operation and the violence that followed. The government has said that security operations continue against other high-ranking members of the cartel. It customary for an air of mystery to surround the burials of drug lords in Mexico, something their supporters take advantage of to try to elevate them to legend. Within hours of El Mencho’s death there were already ballads, known as narcocorridos, written about his killing. In Culiacan, in neighboring Sinaloa state, home to a cartel of the same name, there is a cemetery known for its luxury crypts and mausoleums for one-time kingpins like Ignacio Coronel — an old associate of El Mencho — and Arturo Beltrán Leyva.

CBS News [3/2/2026 3:29 PM, Kathryn Watson, 51110K] reports that First lady Melania Trump is presiding over Monday’s meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York City about education’s role in "advancing tolerance and world peace," as the U.S. military continues strikes in Iran. In her opening remarks, the first lady offered "heartfelt condolences" for the families of lost service members and said she hopes peace will belong to the children of the world, without mentioning the ongoing U.S. military operation by name. "My heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their heroes, who sacrificed their lives for freedom," she said. "Their bravery and dedication will always be remembered. I extend my earnest wishes for a swift and smooth recovery to all those who have been injured. You are in my thoughts and prayers during these challenging times. The U.S. stands with all of the children throughout the world. I hope soon, peace will be yours." U.N. Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo of the United States was more specific in her opening remarks. "Our reality is clear — when conflicts erupt, children are among those most severely affected. We have been reminded of this truth over the last two days," DiCarlo said. "Schools in Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman have closed and moved to remote learning owing to the ongoing military operations in the region. And we are aware of the reports from Iran about the death of possibly dozens of children, allegedly as the result of a strike that hit an elementary school in the town of Minab. United States authorities have announced they are looking into these reports."

New York Times [3/2/2026 11:21 AM, Ed Augustin, Frances Robles, and David C. Adams, 148038K] reports that Plainclothes counterintelligence agents from Cuba’s Interior Ministry knocked on the doors of Communist Party neighborhood delegates living near a military outpost in Havana a few weeks ago, asking for the names of everyone in dozens of nearby homes. The U.S. government had attacked the capital of Venezuela, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and killing more than 100 people, including 32 Cubans who were guarding Mr. Maduro, so the Cuban agents were clearly making contingency plans for a similar strike on potential targets in Cuba, neighborhood delegates said. One delegate was told evacuation plans were being drawn up. The idea seemed reasonable enough: Even as normal life continues, anxiety is palpable on the island. The United States attacked Venezuela, a key Cuban ally. President Trump last week proposed a “friendly takeover.” Now, the United States has launched a major assault on Iran and its supreme leader is dead. Many Cubans are wondering if they are next. “I am afraid of a military invasion,” one of the neighborhood delegates said, speaking on the condition that her name not be published because she was not authorized to discuss her interactions with the counterintelligence services. “The entire country is afraid.” Cuba, a country suffering from a severe energy shortage largely brought on by Mr. Trump’s blockade of foreign oil shipments that has set off a deepening humanitarian crisis, is caught in a Faustian bargain. Many Cubans are enduring the worst moments of their lives and are eager for an end to the 67-year-old Communist government that jails opponents, suppresses free speech and controls a failed centralized economy.

Breitbart [3/2/2026 4:51 PM, Christian K. Caruzo, 2238K] reports anti-socialist Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado on Sunday announced that she will be returning to her country "in a few weeks" to continue working towards a democratic transition in the South American nation following the arrest of Nicolás Maduro. Machado — a former lawmaker violently ousted from her democratically elected position as the leader of Venezuela’s only mainstream center-right party, Vente Venezuela — escaped the country in December 2025 with the help of President Donald Trump’s administration, allowing her to receive the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. She successfully escaped Venezuela after spending over a year in hiding facing constant threats and insults from the Venezuelan socialist regime, which accused her of dubious "treason" charges in the aftermath of the sham July 28, 2024 presidential election. Since fleeing Venezuela, the anti-socialist leader has carried out an international agenda holding meetings with different politicians and leaders, including Pope Leo XIV, President Trump, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In January, weeks after the United States arrested socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, Machado attended the White House where she gifted her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump in recognition of his efforts towards restoring democracy in Venezuela — a nation that, prior to the arrival of the "Bolivarian Revolution" in 1999, historically maintained friendly ties with America. Machado published a roughly six-minute-long video on Sunday announcing her return to Venezuela in "the coming weeks." She once again thanked President Trump for delivering Maduro to justice. She also thanked the American men and women who risked their lives for the freedom of Venezuela and for the national security of their country and the security of all the Americas. "The transition to democracy in Venezuela is unstoppable. For years, we said that this regime would only relinquish power when confronted with real force and a credible threat," Machado said. "First, we had to defeat them spiritually, then politically, then electorally, and finally militarily.”

FOX News [3/2/2026 9:49 PM, Staff, 37576K] reports President Donald Trump on Monday sent an official notification to Congress about the U.S. strikes against Iran, in which he attempted to justify the military action in the now expanding conflict in the Middle East. In a letter obtained by FOX News, Trump told Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, that "no U.S. ground forces were used in these strikes" and that the mission "was planned and executed in a manner designed to minimize civilian casualties, deter future attacks, and neutralize Iran’s malign activities." This comes after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran on Saturday as part of Operation Epic Fury, triggering a response from Tehran and a wider conflict in the region. The strikes killed the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other military leaders. Trump wrote that it is not yet possible to know the full scope of military operations against Iran and that U.S. forces are prepared to take potential further action. "Although the United States desires a quick and enduring peace, not possible at this time to know the full scope and duration of military operations that may be necessary," Trump wrote. "As such, United States forces remain postured to take further action, as necessary and appropriate, to address further threats and attacks upon the United States or its allies and partners, and ensure the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran ceases being a threat to the United States, its allies, and the international community." "I directed this military action consistent with my responsibility to protect Americans and United States interests both at home and abroad and in furtherance of United States national security and foreign policy interests," he added. "I acted pursuant to my constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive to conduct United States foreign relations." Trump said he was "providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution," as some Republican and Democrat lawmakers attempt to restrain the president’s military action, which they affirm is unconstitutional without congressional approval. The president also accused Iran of being among the largest state sponsors of terrorism in the world and purported that the "Iranian regime continues to seek the means to possess and employ nuclear weapons," even after the White House said in June that precision strikes at the time "obliterated" Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities. "As I previously communicated to the Congress, Iran remains one of the largest, if not the largest, state-sponsors of terrorism in the world," Trump said in the letter on Monday. "Despite the success of Operation MIDNIGHT HAMMER, the Iranian regime continues to seek the means to possess and employ nuclear weapons. Its array of ballistic, cruise, anti-ship, and other missiles pose a direct threat to and are attacking United States forces, commercial vessels, and civilians, as well as those of our allies and partners." "Despite my Administration’s repeated efforts to achieve a diplomatic solution to Iran’s malign behavior, the threat to the United States and its allies and partners became untenable," he continued.

FOX News [3/2/2026 9:00 PM, Landon Mion, 37576K] reports President Donald Trump on Monday sent an official notification to Congress about the U.S. strikes against Iran, in which he attempted to justify the military action in the now expanding conflict in the Middle East. In a letter obtained by FOX News, Trump told Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, that "no U.S. ground forces were used in these strikes" and that the mission "was planned and executed in a manner designed to minimize civilian casualties, deter future attacks, and neutralize Iran’s malign activities.” This comes after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran on Saturday as part of Operation Epic Fury, triggering a response from Tehran and a wider conflict in the region. The strikes killed the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other military leaders. Trump wrote that it is not yet possible to know the full scope of military operations against Iran and that U.S. forces are prepared to take potential further action. "Although the United States desires a quick and enduring peace, not possible at this time to know the full scope and duration of military operations that may be necessary," Trump wrote. "As such, United States forces remain postured to take further action, as necessary and appropriate, to address further threats and attacks upon the United States or its allies and partners and ensure the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran ceases being a threat to the United States, its allies, and the international community.” "I directed this military action consistent with my responsibility to protect Americans and United States interests both at home and abroad and in furtherance of United States national security and foreign policy interests," he added. "I acted pursuant to my constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive to conduct United States foreign relations.” Trump said he was "providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution," as some Republican and Democrat lawmakers attempt to restrain the president’s military action, which they affirm is unconstitutional without congressional approval. The president also accused Iran of being among the largest state sponsors of terrorism in the world and purported that the "Iranian regime continues to seek the means to possess and employ nuclear weapons," even after the White House said in June that precision strikes at the time "obliterated" Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities. "As I previously communicated to the Congress, Iran remains one of the largest, if not the largest, state-sponsors of terrorism in the world," Trump said in the letter on Monday. "Despite the success of Operation MIDNIGHT HAMMER, the Iranian regime continues to seek the means to possess and employ nuclear weapons. Its array of ballistic, cruise, anti-ship, and other missiles pose a direct threat to and are attacking United States forces, commercial vessels, and civilians, as well as those of our allies and partners.”

AP [3/1/2026 11:02 PM, Michelle L. Price, Mary Clare Jalonick, Ben Finley, Josef Federman, and David Klepper, 18170K] reports Trump administration officials told congressional staff in private briefings Sunday that U.S. intelligence did not suggest Iran was preparing to launch a preemptive strike against the U.S., three people familiar with the briefings said. The administration officials instead acknowledged there was a more general threat in the region from Iran’s missiles and proxy forces, two of the people said. The third person, however, said the administration emphasized that Iran’s missiles and proxy forces posed an imminent threat to U.S. personnel and allies in the region. The officials did not provide any clarity about what would happen next in Iran after the joint U.S.-Israeli operation, the two people said. All three people insisted on anonymity to discuss details that have not been made public. The information conveyed to the congressional staff contrasts with the message from President Donald Trump. “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime. A vicious group of very hard, terrible people,” he said in a video message after launching strikes on Iran. Senior Trump administration officials, who like others were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, had told reporters Saturday that there were indicators that the Iranians could launch a preemptive attack.

Wall Street Journal [3/2/2026 6:25 PM, Dustin Volz, Alexander Ward, and Lara Seligman, 646K] reports the Trump administration, in pressing its case for war with Iran, has made a number of accusations about the regime’s threats to its neighbors, U.S. troops, and even the American homeland itself. However, U.S. officials and lawmakers with access to classified information, along with experts who have spent their careers poring over public data and government reports, say the administration’s assertions are incomplete, unsubstantiated, or flat-out wrong. And questions will only intensify as top administration officials brief Congress early this week. “The administration has been inconsistent and often inaccurate in explaining why we are at war, what we are trying to achieve and how we intend to achieve it,” said Michael Singh, who handled the Middle East portfolio in George W. Bush’s White House. “I don’t think the administration has sought to mislead, but one does get the sense that they are building the aircraft mid-flight.” President Trump, speaking Monday at the White House, said the U.S. was running out of time to “eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime,” and added that the operation could last four to five more weeks. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Capitol Hill later told reporters Tehran planned to attack the U.S. following opening strikes by Israel on Iran, requiring the U.S. to protect American forces in the region from an “imminent threat.” Meanwhile some senior administration officials have said in recent days that the U.S. could give Iran no space to build an intercontinental ballistic missile or revive its nuclear work. They insisted that it was better to strike before Iran neared either achievement and while its economy and regime were their weakest in years. Yet some lawmakers and U.S. officials say Iran was nowhere near capable of building a nuclear weapon, even if Tehran seeks one. They also say there is no evidence to support Trump’s claim that Iran could rapidly develop a missile capable of striking the U.S. And the accusation that Iran would pre-emptively attack U.S. targets in the Middle East rested on either Israel or the U.S. moving to strike Iran first. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell denied that the administration had shifted its justification for the operation. From the beginning, he said, the objectives have been to destroy Iran’s nuclear missile capability, eliminate its navy, stop its terrorist proxies from destabilizing the world, and stop the regime from deploying roadside bombs, which have killed thousands of American servicemembers.

Washington Times [3/2/2026 6:22 PM, Mike Glenn, 1323K] reports Iran is routinely called the most zealous sponsor of terrorism, both in the Middle East and throughout the world, for good reason. The grim clerics who have ruled the country with an iron fist since the fall of the Shah of Iran are thought to have greenlit wave after wave of bombings, assassinations and political kidnappings for nearly 50 years. President Trump and top White House officials cited Iran’s status as a state sponsor of terrorism and its support of militant proxies in the region as a central justification for Operation Epic Fury, the ongoing U.S. military campaign against Tehran. In his statement Saturday announcing the start of the mission, Mr. Trump called the Iranian leadership “a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.” He said Iran’s malign activities directly endanger the U.S., both at home and abroad, along with allies around the world. “For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted, ‘Death to America,’ and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder, targeting the United States, our troops and the innocent people in many, many countries,” the president said. “Iran is the world’s No. 1 state sponsor of terror, and just recently killed tens of thousands of its own citizens on the street as they protested.” Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, said the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes Saturday that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were a turning point for the Middle East. “The mother ship of terrorism is sinking. The captain is dead,” Mr. Graham said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “The largest state sponsor of terrorism, Iran, is close to collapsing.” The State Department said the Iranian regime’s policy of “exporting the Islamic Revolution” by training and arming militant groups across the Middle East was meant to undermine Western economic influence and secular Arab governments.

Washington Post [3/3/2026 5:01 AM, Isaac Arnsdorf, 24826K] reports President Donald Trump for the first time acknowledged a personal dimension to his decision to attack Iran, citing the country’s efforts to assassinate him in 2024 as a factor in ordering the joint U.S.-Israeli operation that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “I got him before he got me,” Trump said in an interview on Sunday night with ABC News. “I got him first.” Trump had not previously addressed how the Iranian threats to his life colored his thinking on taking the United States to war in the Middle East. Those threats, on top of the assassination attempts in July and September 2024, dominated his and his advisers’ experience of the fall 2024 campaign, with repeated security scares and emergency measures such as changing planes and motorcade routes. The Iranian desire to kill Trump dates back to the U.S. airstrike that killed General Qasem Soleimani in January 2020. Federal prosecutors have charged two cases of alleged Iranian murder-for-hire schemes. No evidence has connected Iran with the two assassination attempts against Trump in 2024. Trump suggested he sees a connection, telling ABC, “They tried twice.” The White House did not provide evidence to support a connection. “There are a million reasons to eliminate terrorists like Ayatollah Khamenei," a senior administration said on the condition of anonymity. "His plots to assassinate President Trump are just one reason.” Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, portrayed Iran’s interest in killing Trump as part of a pattern of behavior that justified the U.S. attack. “It is responsible for a series of unprovoked armed attacks against the United States and Israel, violations of the UN charter, and threats to international peace and security across the Middle East,” Waltz said Saturday at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. “It has even attempted to assassinate the U.S. president, President Trump."

ABC News [3/2/2026 10:42 AM, Jonathan Karl, 34146K] Video: HERE reports an Iranian plot to kill then-candidate Donald Trump was clearly on the president’s mind when he ordered the attack that killed Iran’s supreme leader. "I got him before he got me," Trump said Sunday night, not long after he announced Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed. "They tried twice. Well, I got him first." President Trump was referring to an Iranian plot to kill him during the 2024 presidential campaign. During the summer of 2024, U.S. intelligence believed the Iranian government was plotting to kill then-candidate Trump. The plot was not tied to the assassination attempts against the candidate in Butler, Pennsylvania, or West Palm Beach, Florida, but Trump was briefed on the threat and additional resources were added by the Biden administration to his Secret Service detail. When I spoke with President Trump late Sunday night after he had returned to the White House from a weekend overseeing military operations in Iran from his club in Mar-a-Lago, he sounded like a president who is feeling invincible. He said he believes the military operation has been an unmitigated success. "Nobody else could have done this but me, and you know that," Trump told me. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

ABC News [3/2/2026 11:03 AM, Staff, 34146K] Video: HERE reports Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday defended the ongoing U.S. attack on Iran as necessary because of Tehran’s missile arsenal and nuclear ambitions, calling it "our retribution" for its yearslong role in sponsoring terrorism. Hegseth declined to say how long the operation would last or rule out the potential of sending U.S. troops on the ground. "We didn’t start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it. Their war on Americans has become our retribution against their Ayatollah and his death cult," Hegseth said. Hegseth’s press conference was his first since the large-scale operation began two days ago. The attack resulted in the death of Iran’s supreme leader and some of its senior leadership. President Donald Trump in recent days told reporters he expects the operation could last four to five weeks -- a timeline Hegseth wouldn’t commit to. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Daily Wire [3/2/2026 6:31 AM, Cameron Arcand, 2314K] reports War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that the Trump administration is monitoring for potential domestic threats related to Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. military campaign in Iran. Concerns about Iranian sleeper cells have persisted since last year. Those fears intensified after the FBI said it is investigating a "potential nexus to terrorism" in connection with a shooting in Austin, Texas, on Sunday that left two people dead and 14 injured, The Daily Wire previously reported. "Well, across the inner agency in full coordination, of course, we’re paying attention to any potentialities there. This is a former regime, a regime that seeks to export that ideology, to try to sow terror," Hegseth said when asked by The Daily Wire. "We’re ready for that. We’ve seen these types of folks before. And the American people can rest assured that we’re vigilant on that," he added. Hegseth appeared alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine at the Pentagon on Monday morning, where they outlined the opening phase of the operation. Officials said the campaign aims to dismantle Iran’s missile and nuclear capabilities and degrade its naval forces. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other leaders were killed in the strikes. President Donald Trump has since encouraged the Iranian people to rise up against the country’s theocratic government. "This is not a so-called regime change war. But the regime sure did change, and the world is better off for it," Hegseth said. He also brushed off criticism of the operation being compared to the Iraq War, saying, "This is not Iraq. This is not endless. I was there for both."

AP [3/2/2026 3:00 PM, Michelle L. Price and Konstantin Toropin, 35287K] reports that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke Monday to widening concerns that the U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran could spiral into a protracted regional conflict by declaring, “This is not Iraq. This is not endless,” even as he warned that more American casualties are likely in the weeks ahead. Hegseth, along with Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held the Trump administration’s first news briefing since Saturday’s strikes. President Donald Trump, while he’s conducted a few phone interviews, instead released two videos since the operation began and spoke briefly about it at an unrelated White House event Monday but did not take questions. While the Trump administration has cited Iran’s nuclear ambitions as the chief concern to be addressed, officials increasingly are pointing to the threat from Iran’s ballistic missiles as a key reason to launch the attacks as well as an opportunity to take out the government’s leadership and the sense that negotiations around the nuclear program have stalled. Trump said Iran’s conventional missile program “was growing rapidly and dramatically, and this posed a very clear, colossal threat to America and our forces stationed overseas.” Hegseth also said the operation had a “decisive mission” to eliminate the threat of Iranian ballistic missiles, destroy the country’s navy and ensure “no nukes.” Trump, Hegseth and Caine have not suggested any exit plan or offered signs that the conflict would end anytime soon as the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cast doubt on the future of the Islamic Republic and hurtled the region into broader instability.

Reported similarly:
FOX News [3/2/2026 12:06 PM, Staff, 37576K]

FOX Business [3/2/2026 11:23 AM, Taylor Penley, 7946K] reports Texas Gov. Greg Abbott warned that Iranian "sleeper cells" operating inside the United States pose a serious threat following Operation Epic Fury, saying the danger must be taken "seriously" as the Lone Star State ramps up security efforts. "You oftentimes see when there’s a war breaking out like this, where the United States may be going against a country like Iran, that you could have either sleeper [cells] or lone wolves acting," Abbott told "Mornings with Maria" on Monday. "That’s exactly why we increased the number of Texas Department of Public Safety officers to be patrolling the streets and patrolling sensitive areas and why I deployed the Texas National Guard to do the same thing," he said. Heightened tensions followed a deadly shooting in Austin early Sunday, when suspect Ndiaga Diagne, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Senegal, opened fire near a bar in the downtown area, killing two and injuring 14 others.

Wall Street Journal [3/3/2026 2:33 AM, Jared Malsin and Omar Abdel-Baqui, 646K] reports the U.S. is facing increasing risks to its military forces and diplomatic presence in the Middle East as Iran is launching waves of missile and drone attacks across the region that are testing its ability to defend a swath of territory. U.S. Central Command said that six servicemembers had been killed in the three-day-old campaign on Monday. The six died in a drone strike on a base in Kuwait, The Wall Street Journal reported. Separately, three American F-15 jets were downed by apparent friendly fire over Kuwait on Monday, in one of the most significant losses of equipment for the U.S. in the operation. Bases that house U.S. forces have also come under attack in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The challenge for U.S. forces is handling Iranian attacks across a huge swath of the Middle East while trying to coordinate air defense with local allies. In addition to defending tens of thousands of American troops stationed in the region, the U.S. must also defend dozens of its embassies and other government installations. Iran’s stockpiles of short- and medium-range missiles, as well as swarms of explosive Shahed drones and electronic-warfare capabilities, pose a formidable threat to U.S. military bases in the region, said Ravi Chaudhary, a former assistant secretary of the Air Force in charge of installations. “U.S. installations are going to be tested like never before in this particular conflict,” he said. “Our adversaries have demonstrated the intent and capability to go after our critical infrastructure to disrupt the ability of the United States to project air power.” That challenge is mounting as Iran is widening its campaign of missile and drone strikes to include infrastructure that pumps much of the world’s oil and gas supply. An Iranian drone attack set fire to an important Saudi oil hub while Iranian strikes forced a halt to production of liquefied natural gas in Qatar, one of the world’s largest exporters.

Bloomberg [3/2/2026 6:22 PM, David Rovella, 18082K] reports Donald Trump said Monday his war with Iran could last weeks—and he didn’t rule out the use of American ground troops. The jarring prospect of further escalation cuts against majority domestic opposition to the war, Trump’s repeated statements against foreign entanglements and US intelligence contradicting his justifications for initiating hostilities in the first place. The president and his aides have continued to give shifting explanations for not only starting the war—which has reportedly killed more than 500 Iranians—but what must happen for it to end. Iranian retaliation for US and Israeli attacks has included strikes on US allies and bases across the region, claiming more than a dozen lives in Gulf states and Israel. At least six US soldiers have been killed while a US embassy was hit and a friendly fire incident shockingly downed three American fighter jets. Israel responded to a missile volley from Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah by attacking Lebanon, killing 52 people, authorities there said. Both the New York Times and Washington Post have reported that Trump’s decision to start the war was spurred in part by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Post similarly asserted Saudi Arabia had urged Trump to attack. Trump spoke today about how long the war might last during a ceremony in which he awarded the highest US military decoration, the Congressional Medal of Honor, to three men—two of them posthumously. Trump joked last month at a Georgia rally that he should award the Medal of Honor to himself. Trump never served in the military, having received several Vietnam War deferments. In a video posted yesterday on his social media site, he addressed how many more US casualties might result from the Iran conflict. “There will likely be more before it ends,” Trump said. “That’s the way it is.”

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NewsMax [3/2/2026 11:59 AM, Staff, 3760K]

FOX News [3/2/2026 6:54 PM, Emma Bussey Fox, 37576K] reports Iran is conducting "indiscriminate" targeting of vessels across the Gulf of Oman and the wider Persian Gulf following the launch of U.S.-Israeli strikes under Operation Epic Fury, according to a maritime intelligence firm. Windward AI noted the sanctioned Palau-flagged tanker Skylight was hit as the conflict across the Middle East entered its second day, with the tanker also holding Iranian nationals among the crew and ties to the regime. "Analysis of vessel affiliations, targeting patterns, and cargo data points to a strategy of indiscriminate area denial — not precision targeting — aimed at demonstrating Iran’s capability to disrupt the Strait and deter commercial shipping," the firm said Monday. Iran has been retaliating with missiles and drones targeting U.S. and allied positions across the region, including in Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which links the Gulf of Oman to the Persian Gulf, is the world’s most critical energy chokepoint. While three other vessels were reported attacked since the hostilities escalated Feb. 28, Windward described Skylight as "the highest-risk vessel in the group and the most anomalous target.” The UKMTO Operation Centre also later confirmed attacks on Skylight, MKD Vyom and Hercules Star, warning of significant military activity across the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the North Arabian Sea and the Strait of Hormuz. Skylight had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control in December 2025, and was used to transport Iranian petroleum products, according to reports.

Breitbart [3/2/2026 1:51 PM, Frances Martel, 2238K] reports that the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an arm of the United Nations, stated on Monday that there is no evidence of elevated radiation levels in Iran or that its illicit nuclear enrichment sites were attacked during America’s "Operation Epic Fury." President Donald Trump announced a massive military campaign on Saturday against the Iranian Islamist regime alongside the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), targeting much of the regime’s leadership. By Saturday night, Trump confirmed the death of 86-year-old longtime dictator Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the next day reportedly claimed that all potential successors his administration was examining had also died in the attacks. "Operation Epic Fury" followed weeks of "indirect" talks between Tehran and Washington, mediated by the nation of Oman, in which Iran reportedly sought sanctions relief while the Trump administration pressured the state sponsor of terrorism to abandon its illicit nuclear program. President Trump explained the rationale for attacking Iran on Saturday by stating, "Iran is the world’s no.1 state sponsor of terror and has recently killed tens of thousands of its own people [and is] developing long range missiles that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas, and could even reach the American homeland.”

Reuters [3/2/2026 11:17 AM, Doina Chiacu, 38315K] reports top U.S. General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Monday gave an initial timeline and some details on the start of the U.S. military operation in Iran. So far four U.S. service members have been killed and four others remain seriously wounded, the military has said. FEBRUARY 27: At 3:38 p.m. ET (2038 GMT), the U.S. Central Command received "the final go order" from President Donald Trump: "Operation Epic Fury is approved. No aborts. Good luck." U.S. forces made final preparations: Air defense batteries checked systems to respond to Iranian attacks; pilots and crews rehearsed strike packages for the final time; air ⁠crews began loading final weapons, two carrier strike groups began to move toward launching points. The first moves were made by U.S. Cyber Command and U.S. Space Command, which worked to disrupt, degrade and blind Iran’s ability to see, communicate and respond before the attack began. FEBRUARY 28: 1:15 a.m. ET (0615 GMT/9:45 a.m. Iran time) more than 100 aircraft from land and sea launched, "forming a single synchronized wave." The ​daylight strike was based on a "trigger event conducted by the Israel Defense Forces, enabled by ​the U.S. intelligence community." This was an apparent reference by Caine to Israel’s surprise strike on Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei ⁠that was aided by U.S. intelligence.

Daily Wire [3/2/2026 5:27 AM, Hank Berrien, 2314K] reports Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz bluntly laid out the case for President Donald Trump’s attack on Iran, describing the regime as the leading global state sponsor of terrorism. Appearing on Fox News, Cruz laid out a staggering indictment of Tehran’s financial reach, noting that for 47 years, the radical Islamist leadership has been the "number one state funder of terrorism worldwide.” Cruz praised what he called the military’s "clear-eyed" strategy, saying the strikes targeted Iranian missile capacities and anti-aircraft defenses. He characterized President Trump’s decision to authorize the strikes — including the elimination of top military leadership — as the "most consequential" of his presidency because, in Cruz’s view, Tehran "posed a significant danger to the United States.” He noted that prior to the intervention, the Iranian regime was churning out 100 missiles a month and maintaining a clandestine nuclear weapons program.

NewsMax [3/2/2026 11:10 AM, Nicole Weatherholtz, 3760K] reports following Saturday’s joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said Congress is moving toward a war powers vote before lawmakers have all the facts. In a Monday morning appearance on Newsmax’s "Wake Up America," Mace backed President Donald Trump’s decision to strike — while urging Capitol Hill to slow down on voting to limit his authority. She said Trump "made a good argument yesterday and on Saturday when he delivered his speech to the United States," calling Iran "the No. 1 state sponsor of terrorism in the world." The regime in Tehran has "killed hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans over the last four decades," Mace said, and warned that "there is no peace in the Middle East if Iran goes nuclear." "What most of America does not know are the classified briefings many of us have had on the House Armed Services Committee and Intel committees," she said. "You don’t realize just how close Iran was to getting a nuclear weapon," Mace added, saying a nuclear Iran "would be devastating for the United States, for Israel, for our allies, for the Gulf states." The congresswoman noted those Gulf partners "hated the regime as well," arguing the military action is unlike previous Middle East conflicts the U.S. has been involved in. "Anyone comparing Iran to Iraq doesn’t understand the geopolitical ramifications," she said, pointing to the country’s size, population and opposition movements. "In Iran, you’ve got 90 million Iranians," Mace said, adding "the vast majority of Iranians want a free, democratic country of Iran that is non-nuclear."

AP [3/2/2026 8:08 AM, Samy Magdy, 31753K] reports three American fighter jets were mistakenly downed by friendly Kuwaiti fire Monday during an Iranian air assault, the U.S. military said. All six crew members safely ejected from the F-15E Strike Eagles and were in stable condition after being recovered, the U.S. said. An attack by Iranian aircraft, missiles and drones was underway at the time the planes were shot down. Iranian state television claimed that Iran had targeted one of the U.S. planes that crashed in Kuwait without elaborating. Explosions could be heard as one of the planes fell from the sky in flames, said witness Ahmed al-Asar, who rushed to the scene with about a dozen others as an airman parachuted to the ground. Al-Asar initially thought it was an Iranian pilot, but recognized he was American before rescuers whisked him away. Kuwait said its air defenses had accidentally shot down the jets as part of its support for the U.S. combat operation in Iran, U.S. Central Command said. “The U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses,” the military said. “Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation.” The cause of the incident was under investigation, the U.S. said.

USA Today [3/2/2026 1:50 PM, Kathryn Palmer, 70643K] reports that China’s government has condemned the joint U.S.-Israeli military strikes on Iran and urged Gulf states to work together to oppose foreign influence, as the Middle East erupts into a wider conflict. In the country’s initial comments Sunday, March 1, after the killing of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, China’s foreign ministry called the attacks "a grave violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security" and denounced them as an infringement on the "principles of the UN Charter and basic norms in international relations." Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said China was not informed in advance about the strikes. On Monday, March 2, China’s foreign minister held calls with his counterparts in Oman and Iran, reiterating the country’s opposition and calling for the resumption of talks to prevent further escalation. The United States and Israel began striking Iran on Saturday, Feb. 28, in a campaign that killed the nation’s supreme leader. President Donald Trump said the operation killed dozens of top officials and hit more than 1,000 targets inside the country. Iran and its allied militias, such as Hezbollah, have retaliated with strikes against Israel and U.S. military bases across the Middle East. Iran’s targets have included several major Gulf cities, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera the strikes are not targeting Iran’s Gulf neighbors, but rather the U.S. assets in the region.

Reuters [3/3/2026 2:37 AM, Staff, 38315K] reports China will take necessary measures to ensure its own energy security, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday, when asked about the ⁠potential impact of U.S. military actions in Venezuela and Iran on China’s oil supply. "Energy security is very important to the world economy, and all parties should ⁠ensure stable and smooth energy supply," ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said during a ⁠regular press conference. China firmly opposes the use of force to ⁠violate the sovereignty and security of other ⁠countries in international relations, Mao said.

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