The Daily Briefing

YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP

Tue Mar 3 2026

Nicole Fallert
Newsletter Writer & SEO Editor

Welcome to the Daily Briefing. Here's what's breaking this morning:

•	Savannah Guthrie's family visited a memorial for her mom.
•	The average tax refund is up from last year.
•	See who made "American Idol" Top 30.

Nicole Fallert here, bringing you the news to know on Tuesday, from Americans' feelings about war in Iran to elections in Texas, Arkansas and North Carolina. Plus: We introduce USA TODAY's 2026 Women of the Year.

Rubio promises punishment for Iran

As the death toll of American servicemen continues to rise , Secretary of State Marco Rubio predicted "the hardest hits are yet to come" against Iran. Rubio spoke Monday, just days after joint U.S.-Israel strikes killed top Iranian officials and prompted retaliation against Israel and missile attacks at Arab nations with U.S. bases across the Middle East.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is facing pushback at home. Prominent Democrats have slammed the president for declaring "war without congressional consent." Some conservatives worry the attacks from the man who campaigned on the slogan of "no more endless wars" will look like a "betrayal" of Trump's supporters.

What do you want to know? USA TODAY reporters are answering questions from readers to help break down the war in Iran. Ask your questions here.

✉️ Subscribe to USA TODAY's On Politics newsletter for the latest news and developments on Iran. Sign up here .

More news to know now

•	Voting today! While results in North Carolina and Arkansas are largely predetermined, Democrats Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico face off Tuesday in a competitive Texas Congressional primary that will test Democratic styles.
•	Suspect in Austin bar shooting: Videos and pictures posted online showed Ndiaga Diagne, 53, wearing a "Property of Allah" sweatshirt during the shooting, and he reportedly was wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the Iranian flag. Investigators are still trying to piece together a motive.
•	Watch Clintons talk Epstein: The House Oversight Committee released videos of the recent depositions of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as part of its investigation into accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

International Women's History Month

Power. Purpose. Progress.

USA TODAY's 2026 Women of the Year honorees, from left to right: Peggy Winckowski, Sarah Bond, Angel City Football Club featuring Julie Uhrman, Kara Nortman and Willow Bay, Lainey Wilson, Emma Bloomberg, Channing Dungey, Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Fei-Fei Li.

USA TODAY

USA TODAY's 2026 Women of the Year each had different paths, but they share one goal: Making a difference in their communities. We'll be spotlighting our honorees to you in the Daily Briefing during the weeks of International Women's History Month, sharing their stories and their impact. Meet the women.

Space

NASA's path to the moon takes a detour

NASA has outlined a fresh vision for its Artemis lunar program. Most prominently, that includes a brand new mission before the first lunar landing in more than 50 years and the first of potentially two lunar landings in 2028. Speaking of the moon, did you catch the total lunar eclipse this morning?!