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The Short List

Mon Mar 2 2026

Phaedra Trethan | National Correspondent

@wordsbyphaedra

👋🏼 Hi there! I'm Phaedra Trethan, thinking of the families of service members killed amid the ongoing strikes in Iran and the Middle East. 💔

In Monday's news:

•	We're following developments in Iran and across the Middle East as the United States continues its air strikes.
•	A gunman opened fire outside a bar in Austin, Texas, killing at least two people and injuring several others.
•	The SAG Actors Awards on Sunday night brought the Oscars a bit more into focus. 🎬 📺

But first: March is Women's History Month. Check out USA TODAY's 2026 Women of the Year , trailblazers who are leaving their mark on music, media, business, sports and society. 👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼

US-Israel strikes on Iran continue

American and Israeli airstrikes on Iran expanded in a campaign that began over the weekend and killed the rogue nation's supreme leader. At least four American service members were killed in retaliatory strikes. Congressional representatives are split on whether President Donald Trump was within his constitutional authority to order the strikes, and three U.S. fighter planes crashed in Kuwait, though their crews ejected safely. The latest updates.

•	"This is not endless": Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says America will not engage in nation-building in Iran. 🚫
•	Watch: Trump says Iran posed an imminent threat.
•	"No aborts. Good luck": How the initial attacks unfolded.
•	There's already been a significant human toll in the Iran strikes and retaliatory attacks.
•	What might come next for Iran?
•	Ask us: USA TODAY reporters are answering questions from readers to help break down the war in Iran. What do you want to know?

Birds fly as smoke rises following an explosion, after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 2, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Majid Asgaripour, via REUTERS

Americans, and the world, react to Iran strikes

The reaction to U.S.-Israeli strikes among Americans, including ordinary citizens, lawmakers, pundits and partisans can best be summed up in one word: mixed. Across the globe, it was about the same. Demonstrators gathered in U.S. cities. Some Americans opposed the strikes altogether; others questioned the timing, the scope and the ultimate objectives of the strikes. Still, others expressed joy and relief at the end of a brutal and oppressive Iranian regime. What we heard.

•	China condemned the strike, calling it a "grave violation" of a sovereign nation.
•	Reaction in Iran was mixed as well, with some mourning their leader's death and others celebrating it.
•	Trump campaigned on pledges to avoid foreign entanglements and put Americans first. Now some in his MAGA coalition are furious about the actions in Iran.

Real quick

•	Americans with family in Mexico are struggling with anxiety and fear amid cartel violence in the country.
•	Freedom 250, a Trump administration-backed fleet of mobile history museums, hit the road recently. We took a look inside. 👀
•	The Supreme Court declined to hear an Alabama case that rejected the state's criminalization of panhandling. ⚖️
•	Banners at the U.S. Dept. of Education honor Benjamin Franklin, Catherine Beecher, Martin Luther King Jr. ... and Charlie Kirk.

Suspect in Austin shooting identified

The suspected gunman who opened fire outside an Austin, Texas, bar early Sunday morning, killing at least two people and injuring several others, has been identified, police said. The man, 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, was fatally shot by police who responded to the shooting in the midst of the city's music and entertainment district. What we know.

•	Nine people were injured in another weekend mass shooting, at a concert venue in Cincinnati.
•	The FBI is looking into the alleged shooter's motive, including possible terrorism ties.

Law enforcement officers, including the FBI, investigate the scene on March 1, 2026, after a deadly mass shooting outside Buford's, a popular roadhouse-style bar in Austin.

Nuri Vallbona, REUTERS

Actors honoring actors 🎬 📺 🎙️

The Actor Awards – formerly the Screen Actors Guild or SAG Awards – are usually a reliable bellwether for the Oscars. If that holds true this year, look for Sean Penn and Amy Madigan to hoist the golden guy. But don't be surprised to see Michael B. Jordan at the podium, too. The best and worst moments from Sunday's ceremony.

•	The awards paid tribute to Eric Dane, Catherine O'Hara, Gene Hackman and Rob Reiner, among others we've recently lost. 🥀
•	Photos: Red carpet looks from the Actors Awards. 🤩
•	Harrison Ford, known for his tough-but-sweet guy roles as Han Solo and Indiana Jones, got a little verklempt as he accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award. 🥹

A break from the news

•	Sing it with me: "I see / the bad moon a-rising..." 🎵 🌗 🎶
•	Purim Sameach to all who celebrate! If you're not familiar, here's a primer.
•	Cursive writing is making a comeback in some states' classrooms. ✍🏼

Phaedra Trethan is a national correspondent at USA TODAY. She'd love to hear from readers about The Short List, story ideas from across the nation and your favorite Harrison Ford role. (A true GenXer, she will always love Han Solo.) Email her at ptrethan@usatoday.com.

Supreme Court, debating guns, gets caught up in Founding fathers' drinking

Supporters of gun control laws rally in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on Dec. 2, 2019.

The Justice Department is defending its prosecution of a man for owning a gun despite regularly using marijuana. Does that violate the Second Amendment?

READ MORE