Patricia Brown

Iran Live Updates: War Escalates as Israel Strikes Hezbollah in Lebanon Iran and allied militias, including Hezbollah, attacked Israel and U.S. targets in retaliation for Ayatollah Khamenei’s death. Israel struck in Lebanon as U.S. defense officials declined to say how long the operation against Iran would go on.

Breaking News: U.S. officials said a fourth U.S. service member died, and declined to say how long the Iran operation would go on but that more American forces were heading to the Middle East.

(AXIOS) - No president in the modern era has ordered more military strikes against as many different countries as Donald Trump.

@axios.com
www.axios.com/2026/03/02/t...

3 U.S. Planes Are Shot Down in ‘Friendly Fire’ in Kuwait, U.S. Military Says

Kuwaiti air defenses mistakenly shoot down three US fighter jets. All six American crew members safely ejected and were later recovered, military says. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/w...

Pushing back on claims of a “forever war,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told critics to “stop” calling it such.

“This is not Iraq. This is not endless,” he said. “Our generation knows better, and so does this president.”

Why does Hegseth sound like he’s on speed? Why is Trump AWOL? So far, betting on death, US soldiers killed by friendly fire, stocks down, regional war, timeline in Trump’s mind, objectives still hazy, Austin violence, no Congressional approval, public doesn’t want war. Already bad.

Just a matter of time before one of our more putinized Trumpers calls this a "special military operation"

In New York, Fury, Anxiety and Joy Over the Attacks on Iran

As clearly as I can put it: This is an illegal war being waged by a sociopathic president whose goal is to distract people from his failing administration.

Trump campaign peace promises loom large over wartime presidency The "anti-war" candidate has bombed seven countries and launched a new regime-change war in Iran.

No president in the modern era has launched more military strikes against as many different countries as Trump, including more individual strikes in 2025 than Biden ordered in all four years. @zacharybasu www.axios.com/2026/03/02/t...

Why does Hegseth talk so fast he sounds lukewarm he is on speed? Why is he so snarky to reporters? US dead by friendly fire. Austin shooting he blew off. Stocks down. Regional war. What are those objectives again?!? What is that timeline in Trump’s head? Why is Trump AWOL?

F.B.I. Investigating if Shooting at a Bar in Austin Has Terrorism Connection The police and the F.B.I. descended on a neighborhood 30 miles north of Austin to execute a search warrant after a gunman killed two people at a bar.

A shooting early Sunday that started at a bar in Austin, Texas, and left three people dead, including the shooter, is being investigated by the FBI as a potential act of terrorism, the authorities said. Fourteen others were injured in the shooting. nyti.ms/4753rha

Trump’s war around the world and has NOT made the homeland safer. There was NEVER an imminent threat.

First ICE Vehicles Arrive at Williamsport Detention Warehouse Photos obtained by Project Salt Box show 53 unmarked government trucks and SUVs staged behind the newly-purchased facility.

Williamsport, Maryland:

projectsaltbox.substack.com/p/first-ice-...

The Week Ahead February 27, 2026

Lots of tails wagging lots of dogs this week. Trump clearly wants you to forget there are documents about him missing from the Epstein files. But I devote most of this piece to a quiet phenomenon: federal judges, declaring war on ICE open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...

Trump Says War Could Last Weeks and Offers Contradictory Visions of New Regime

While Trump has called for regime change in Iran, he makes clear in phone interview with Zolan Kanno-Youngs that he is fine with remnants of the repressive regime remaining in power. "What we did in Venezuela, I think, is the perfect, the perfect scenario." www.nytimes.com/2026/03/01/u...

Cf. Reza Aslan on MS NOW. Thank you, Peter Baker.

Stakes Quickly Rise for U.S. in Iran War, With 3 Service Members Killed The grim toll signaled that Iran was more prepared for war than the Trump administration anticipated, U.S. military officials said.

For the U.S., the deaths of three service members in the first two days of the war signaled that Iran was more prepared than the Trump administration anticipated, U.S. military officials said. nyti.ms/4r8OJwJ

Reza Aslan on MS NOW today provided the best analysis of Trump’s authoritarian tendencies in his war.

‘I Have Agreed to Talk’ Trump tells The Atlantic that Iranian leaders want to resume negotiations.

Exclusive: “I have agreed to talk”: Trump tells @michaelscherer.bsky.social that he plans to speak with Iran’s new leadership. Read more from his interview:

In other words, Trump has no plan.

Understanding America’s complicated relationship with Iran Americans and Iranians remember the same history very differently. Americans remember the moment Iran turned against them and Iranians remember the moment they believe democracy was taken from them. W...

Americans and Iranians remember the same history very differently. When two countries cannot agree on how a conflict began, they cannot agree on how it might end. #Velshi

www.msnbc.com/ali-velshi/w...

You are one of MS NOW’s best interviewer, Ali. Your interview of the Iranian Foreign Ministry spospokesperson was EXTRAORDINARY and it’s analysis by Reza the Iranian expert afterwards should earn you an Emmy and shows how Trump’s war is by choice. I can’t turn off your show-it’s so educational.

The Sunday Morning Wrap-Up Here’s the highlight reel of the past week’s posts and events.

Here are all of this week’s Civil Discourse columns, collected in one place in case you missed anything. open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...

While operations are coordinated at a members-only, private beach club — in between fundraisers and parties.

Three US service members killed in action, five seriously wounded so far per CENTCOM.

Our hearts grieve for these service members killed and those fighting for their lives. It’s a vital reminder that our troops are the ones that take on the risk and bear the sacrifices, not the decision makers.

Reza afterwards analysis with Velshi agrees with me!

Seems like the emerging policy is: you people out there are responsible for setting up your own governments, but if the US doesn’t like who ends up in charge we’ll just assassinate or kidnap them and then the ball is back in your court.

Everyone must see the EXTRAORDINARY interview by Velshi with the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson and Reza’s analysis afterwards. Velshi deserves an EMMY and we Americans believe much that the Iranian said: it’s Trump’s war of choice.

2 dead, 14 wounded in shooting in Austin's entertainment district; suspected gunman killed by police | CNN At least three people were killed, including the suspected gunman, and 14 others were wounded when gunfire erupted around 2 a.m. CT Sunday in Austin's bustling entertainment district as bars were closing, authorities said. Police responded to reports of...

At least two people were shot and killed and 14 others were shot and wounded late last night at a bar in Austin, TX. Around the same time, nine people were shot and wounded at a music venue in Cincinnati, OH.

We don’t have to live like this. We all deserve to feel safe while enjoying a night out.

Congress must continue to work to end the scourge of gun violence in our country.