In today’s newsletter: Trump describes the Iran war as a “short-term excursion” while also threatening “death, fire and fury” if Tehran keeps blocking a key oil route. Georgia residents will choose Marjorie Taylor Greene’s replacement in a special election. And voters don’t trust either party to handle AI.
Here’s what to know today.
Trump says Iran war will end ‘soon’ — and issues threats that could prolong it
President Donald Trump categorized the war in Iran as “a short-term excursion” yesterday, suggesting the 10-day conflict that has roiled the Middle East could be nearing its end. At the same time, he warned of intensifying strikes if Iran restricts a key oil route.
Trump did not put a timeline on the end of the war when pressed for details, and he warned that the U.S. would retaliate with immense force if the Iranians attacked ships in the crucial Strait of Hormuz. On social media, he vowed “death, fire and fury will reign upon them.”
This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.
The president was asked about a new video that appears to show a U.S. Tomahawk missile hitting an area where a strike killed more than 170 people at a girls’ school in Iran. He said he hadn’t seen the video and suggested, without offering any evidence, that the Tomahawk could have been fired by Iran, which is not known to have such missiles. The Defense Department is still investigating the strike, he said.
“Whatever the report shows, I’m willing to live with that report,” he said.
Trump also left open the prospect of acquiring Iranian oil on a phone call with NBC News. He referenced Venezuela, where the U.S. launched a January raid and later took steps to secure and tap the country’s oil reserves. “People have thought about it, but it’s too soon to talk about that,” he said.
Read more of Trump’s comments to GOP lawmakers here.
Follow the latest on the Iran war on our liveblog.
More on the Iran war:
- Toxic rain fell over Tehran following a night of Israeli airstrikes on the city’s oil facilities.
- Oil prices sank and stocks jumped in a dramatic reversal following Trump’s announcement that the war was “very complete, pretty much.”
- The war has elevated Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Trump’s 2028 succession jockeying.
- Australia granted asylum to five members of the Iranian women’s soccer team.
Voters head to the polls for special election in Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Georgia district
Today, the Georgia district that sent Marjorie Taylor Greene, a onetime fierce Trump defender, to Congress will vote to replace her in another midterms test of how far the president’s endorsement will go.
The race for a district Trump won by 37 points in 2024 is crowded: Of the 17 Republicans in the race, five unofficially withdrew after the deadline and will still appear on the ballot along with three Democrats. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, the top two vote-getters head to an April 7 runoff.
Trump endorsed prosecutor and Air Force veteran Clay Fuller, who campaigned on backing the president’s border security and immigration agendas. One of Fuller’s main rivals, former state Sen. Colton Moore, has a record of backing Trump but has sometimes questioned the president.
In Mississippi, Rep. Bennie Thompson will face a Democratic primary challenge from Evan Turnage in another generational battle for the party.
More about today’s elections here.
More politics news:
- Senate Republicans are splintering over the SAVE America Act’s path as Trump calls for more revisions.
- Dr. Oz, the nation’s top official overseeing the Affordable Care Act, told NBC News that Obamacare enrollment may be “too high.”
- The FBI subpoenaed election records in Arizona last week, expanding an investigation into the state’s 2020 results.
- Anthropic is suing the Trump administration after the AI company was labeled a supply-chain risk to national security.
- A champion high school mariachi musician and his family were released from immigration detention after an outcry.
Poll: Majority of voters say AI risks outweigh the benefits
Voters are worried about AI and don’t trust either political party to handle the rapidly evolving technology, a new NBC News survey found.
A majority of registered voters said they believe the technology’s risks outweigh its benefits — though a plurality of voters view AI negatively, and don’t believe either Democrats or Republicans are doing a good job handling policy related to it. The only topics that were less popular than AI in the NBC News survey were the Democratic Party and Iran.
The survey also found a partisan divide, with an even split of Republicans holding positive or negative views of AI, while independents and Democrats held more negative opinions.
How respondents view the AI landscape, here.
Read All About It
- Live Nation settled their antitrust case with the Justice Department, successfully avoiding a breakup with Ticketmaster.
- Daily multivitamins may slightly slow the biological aging process in older adults, a study found.
- Two luxury real estate brokers and their other brother were convicted in a federal sex trafficking trial.
- Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce will return to the team for a 14th NFL season.
- The “fixer” in a massive point-shaving scheme that rigged college basketball games pleaded guilty to charges connected to his “leadership role.”
Staff Pick: ChatGPT Health ‘under-triaged’ half of medical emergencies in a new study
I’ve seen the personal anecdotes online: a long-awaited diagnosis that dozens of doctors missed, only to be finally caught by ChatGPT. It seems like nearly everyone is using AI as a personal medical therapist. But what happens when AI slips up?
Speaking to researchers who study AI, they found that ChatGPT Health — think GPT but for health questions — doesn’t properly recognize half of emergency cases and delays critical care. Over 40 million people use ChatGPT everyday to ask about health care. It could play a role in countries that don’t have access to health care, but could also risk their safety. Patients are in a tug-of-war with a technology that could better their health, or compromise it.
— Kaan Ozcan, health and medical unit intern
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp. One way to ensure you’re giving your scalp the proper care is by adding regular scalp treatments to your hair care routine. An even better way is by using a scalp massager. And don’t forget to invest in a filtered showerhead to eliminate any water impurities that might dry out your hair.
Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.
Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Marissa Martinez. If you’re a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign-up here.
