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🇮🇷 Trump says Iran strikes may run five weeks, longer if needed. President Donald Trump said on March 2nd the campaign will likely last four to five weeks. He added he is prepared to go far longer than that. Trump said Iran posed a clear, colossal threat. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters the operation is not a nation-building project. He said, “This is not Iraq”, and insisted it is not endless. The Iranian Red Crescent Society said the American-Israeli operation has killed at least 555 people. Israeli officials said Iranian missiles killed 11 people inside Israel. The American military said two missing service members were confirmed dead, bringing the total to six. A defense official said all six were Army soldiers from the same logistics unit in Kuwait. Officials also reported deaths in the UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain as the war spread.

🇱🇧 Lebanon cracks down on Hezbollah as Beirut suburbs burn. Israeli strikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs on March 2nd after Hezbollah fired missiles and drones into northern Israel. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said at least 52 were killed and 154 wounded overnight. The Education Ministry said schools would close Tuesday as residents sought shelter. The Lebanese government called Hezbollah’s decision to join the Iran war illegal. President Joseph Aoun said one side is dragging Lebanon into fights it did not choose. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said only the state can decide war and peace. Salam said Hezbollah’s armed operations are banned and launches must be stopped. The Israeli military warned roughly 50 communities to evacuate and called up 100,000 reservists. Israel said it struck more than 70 Hezbollah sites and killed intelligence official Hussein Mokaled. It also hit Al-Manar studios and al-Qard al-Hasan branches.

⛽ Tanker chaos lifts oil and gas, then pump pain follows. Energy markets jolted on March 2nd as tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz thinned. The strait carries about 20% of the world’s oil supply. Data firm Kpler said traffic dropped sharply amid disrupted satellite navigation. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center reported vessel attacks and heavy electronic interference. Oman said a bomb-carrying drone boat hit a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, killing one mariner. In Europe, natural gas jumped more than 40% after QatarEnergy halted liquefied natural gas production. American crude rose 6.3% to $71.23 a barrel, and Brent settled up 6.7% at $77.74. Analyst Kevin Book of Clearview Energy Partners warned even stray shrapnel can disable infrastructure. The national average gasoline price rose 6¢ to $2.99, a motoring group said. Considering delayed effects of downstream spikes, a Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas study found $10 more per barrel can add 25¢ per gallon in roughly 20 days.

⚖️ Justices freeze California rule on outing transgender students. The Supreme Court on March 2nd temporarily blocked California’s ban on automatic parental notification. The law targeted policies requiring notice when students change pronouns or gender expression at school. The emergency order lets schools tell parents when a child identifies as transgender without student approval. Two sets of Catholic parents said the policies pushed schools to mislead them. The Thomas More Society represented the families and called the ruling historic for parental rights. California argued students deserve privacy, especially if they fear rejection at home. The court’s majority reinstated a lower-court block while the lawsuit proceeds. Justice Elena Kagan wrote that the court should not upend state policy so quickly. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas said they would have gone further for teachers. Governor Gavin Newsom’s office said the order harms student privacy and classroom safety.

🪂 Hot-air balloon tower rescue turns into rope “Super Bowl”. Firefighters in Longview, Texas, rescued two balloonists trapped high above town on February 28th. Officials said the hot-air balloon snagged on a communications tower more than 900 feet up. Longview has more than 80,000 residents and sits about 120 miles east of Dallas. The rescue took hours and used more than a dozen firefighters staged at different heights. Crews needed about an hour to climb to the basket. They fitted the man and woman with ropes and harnesses. Fire Marshal Marcus Delaney said it took another hour to secure them inside the tower. The descent then lasted nearly two more hours. Video showed torn fabric wrapped on guidewires as the basket swayed in wind. Lieutenant Stephen Winchell said the crew trains for this exact “Super Bowl” scenario.

🧾 Minnesota prosecutor eyes charges over federal immigration raids. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty opened a March 2nd investigation into federal immigration officers. She said the inquiry could bring state charges, including against Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino. Moriarty said her office is reviewing 17 cases from Operation Metro Surge. One allegation says Bovino threw a smoke canister at protesters on January 21st. Another says officers made an arrest near a high school on January 7th and used chemical irritants. The Department of Homeland Security said states cannot prosecute federal officers for duty actions. Bovino did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. The investigation also covers the January killings of 37-year-old mother Renee Good and 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti. Moriarty said she is confident charges are possible and may sue for evidence. She set a Tuesday deadline for federal agencies to provide requested materials.

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