Trump Says More U.S. Casualties Are ‘Likely’ in War With Iran, and Oil Prices Jump After Attack

by · NY Times

transcript

Trump Says More U.S. Casualties Are ‘Likely’ in War With Iran, and Oil Prices Jump After Attack

Plus, what to know about the A.I. videos that kids are watching.

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email transcripts@nytimes.com with any questions.

tracy mumford

From “The New York Times,” it’s “The Headlines.” I’m Tracy Mumford. Today’s Monday, March 2nd. Here’s what we’re covering.

president donald trump

Combat operations continue at this time in full force, and they will continue until all of our objectives are achieved. We have —

tracy mumford

The United States and Israel struck more than 2,000 more targets in Iran yesterday, not letting up on the assault that’s taken out the country’s senior leadership, and set off a wave of violence across the Middle East. Iran’s Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed Saturday, along with several high-level military leaders. And the US is now continuing to target military sites in Iran and the country’s navy.

president donald trump

These actions are right, and they are necessary to ensure that Americans will never have to face a radical, bloodthirsty terrorist regime armed with nuclear weapons and lots of threats.

tracy mumford

In retaliation, Iran has fired a barrage of missile attacks at Israel and at US military bases in the region.

president donald trump

We grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

tracy mumford

One strike on a base in Kuwait left three US service members dead.

president donald trump

And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is. Likely be more, but we’ll do —

tracy mumford

President Trump acknowledged the US casualties in a short address yesterday, saying their deaths would be avenged, and he called on the remaining Iranian military and the country’s Revolutionary Guard to surrender or be killed. My colleague, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, spoke with Trump yesterday and asked the president how long he thinks the operation in Iran will continue. Trump told him it could go on for four to five weeks.

zolan kanno-youngs

I also pressed the president on wanting Iran’s security forces to drop their weapons and surrender. I asked him, well, who are they supposed to surrender to? And the president said that he hopes that the security forces surrender to the people of Iran. It’s worth noting here, though, that these were the same security forces just earlier this year that were opening fire on street protesters and killing thousands.

Now, the president is saying that he hopes security forces will drop their weapons and surrender to the same people that they were targeting. Really what the interview reflected is the degree to which the administration remains uncertain about what the next few weeks will hold, and it comes at a time in which the entire world is really watching the Trump administration, the conflict in the Middle East, and wondering if this will expand into a broader conflict, and what steps President Trump will take after launching this extraordinary action.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

tracy mumford

Meanwhile, inside Iran, the toll of the attacks is not yet clear. Major explosions have rocked Tehran and other cities. In the streets, large crowds have gathered to celebrate the supreme leader’s death, while others have turned out to mourn him. Against that has been the soundtrack of ongoing strikes.

A girls’ elementary school in the south of the country was hit, killing 115 people, according to Iranian state media. The school is adjacent to a naval base.

iranian fm abbas araghchi

We have every right, every legitimate right, to defend ourselves. What the United States is doing is an act of aggression.

tracy mumford

So far, Iran’s remaining leadership has been defiant. The foreign minister told ABC yesterday he sees no limit to Iran defending its people. It has carried out deadly strikes against Israel and targets across the Gulf states, firing missiles and drones at Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha. The Iran-backed militant group, Hezbollah, also joined in the retaliation, and Israel’s responded with strikes in Lebanon, shattering the year-long ceasefire in place there and heightening fears that even more countries could be drawn into the spiraling war.

The conflict has also spread to the water. Commercial ships are on high alert in the Strait of Hormuz, where videos verified by “The Times” showed one tanker on fire yesterday. A significant amount of natural gas and 1/5 of the world’s oil passes through the Strait, but that traffic has now plummeted and oil prices have started to climb, an early sign of the conflict’s economic risks. And in Washington —

senator chris murphy

This is a disaster. It is illegal. And the president is obligated, under the Constitution, to come to Congress and ask for an authorization of military force.

tracy mumford

Democrats have overwhelmingly opposed the president’s decision to strike Iran without seeking congressional approval.

senator tim kaine

The claims about we’re going to change the regime, we’re going to stop a nuclear program, there was some threat, all of the intelligence I’ve seen in 13 years on the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees tell me there was no imminent threat from Iran that justifies sending our sons and daughters into war.

tracy mumford

Some Democrats have also questioned the administration’s rationale for the strikes. And Trump is facing criticism from some of his right-wing supporters, too, who are arguing that he betrayed his campaign promise to pull the country back from foreign wars.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

In Austin, Texas —

acting special agents in charge

The FBI is working in lockstep with our partners with Austin Police Department.

tracy mumford

Authorities are investigating whether a deadly shooting at a downtown bar early Sunday morning was an act of terrorism. Police say the gunman drove by the bar, a popular spot with college students, and fired from his SUV. He then parked nearby, got out, and opened fire again. Two people were killed and more than a dozen were injured before police killed the gunman.

acting special agents in charge

In terms of specifically what type of terrorism, we’re just at this point prepared to say that it was potentially an act of terrorism.

tracy mumford

The shooter has been identified as a 53-year-old man who lived in the area. He was wearing a sweatshirt that read “property of Allah.” A source familiar with the investigation told “The Times” he was a naturalized US citizen originally from Senegal.

The FBI’S Joint Terrorism Task Force is now assisting with the investigation. Across the US, there are heightened security concerns that the US strikes on Iran could spur retaliatory acts of terrorism. In New York, for example, the police department says it’s increased patrols at sensitive areas, such as diplomatic and religious sites.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Now, in business news today, a federal court case is set to kick off that could shake up the whole live music industry. The Justice Department has accused Live Nation of building up a monopoly in the concert business, stifling competition and driving up ticket prices for fans. Last year, the company, which owns Ticketmaster, sold over 600 million tickets around the world.

It also owns or controls almost 500 venues and manages hundreds of artists. The government is arguing that Live Nation has pressured and even threatened venues to sign exclusive ticketing deals. In one case that’s expected to be brought up in trial, it allegedly routed tours away from the massive Barclays Center in New York after the venue partnered with its competitor, SeatGeek. Live Nation has denied that allegation.

Some of Live Nation’s most vocal critics, though, have been small venues who say that the company’s dominance makes it harder for them to put on shows. The executive director of the National Independent Venue Association told “The Times,” “we are not competing, we’re barely surviving.” In all, 39 state attorneys general have also joined the case as plaintiffs, underscoring that taking on the issue of high prices for consumers is politically popular with both Democrats and Republicans. For its part, Live Nation denies that it has a monopoly and says that government lawyers have presented barely a molehill of evidence that the company has eroded competition.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

And finally —

(singing)

E is for elephant

Pink elephant

Trumpet, trumpet, trumpet

tracy mumford

On YouTube, a growing number of the videos aimed at young kids are generated by AI.

(singing)

F is for flamingo

Flamingo

Honk, honk, honk

tracy mumford

At first listen, OK, maybe they don’t sound that different from other kids programming. They’re happy, bubbly, bouncy. But if you watch a few, they’re bizarre. An animated horse hatching from an egg. Snakes with mermaid tails, warped faces, extra body parts. “The Times” reviewed more than 1,000 videos being recommended to kids, and found that YouTube’s algorithm is often pushing this nonsensical content.

The videos are often short, just 30 seconds or so. Some of them claim to teach things like the alphabet, but they’re riddled with misinformation and incoherent narratives. And while there are not many studies yet on how short-form media affects young children, one developmental psychologist told “The Times” that the videos move too rapidly for kids under five, whose attention systems are still developing. Other experts worry that the sheer volume of these videos will displace more quality content that has educational benefits.

Some channels are churning out these AI videos at a rate of multiple clips a day, and many have a million-plus views. All those views can rake in profits for the owners of the channels. When “The Times” asked YouTube about the AI videos and shared a few as examples, the platform then blocked those accounts from appearing on YouTube Kids. “The Times” also talked to some parents who say it’s hard to keep AI videos out of their kids’ feeds, and they’re left trying to figure out if the content online is really educational, or, as one mom asked, are they just trying to grab your kids’ attention?

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Those are “The Headlines.” Today on “The Daily,” more on the situation inside Iran, as President Trump urges people there to topple the regime from within. You can listen to that in “The New York Times” app or wherever you get your podcasts. I’m Tracey Mumford. We’ll be back tomorrow.

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In an interview with The New York Times, President Trump said Iran’s military should surrender its weapons to the public.
Credit...Eric Lee for The New York Times

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Credits

Hosted by Tracy Mumford

Produced by Will Jarvis and Ian Stewart

Edited by Ian Stewart and Tracy Mumford

Featuring Zolan Kanno-Youngs