{"id":186812,"date":"2026-03-02T14:40:22","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T14:40:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/186812\/"},"modified":"2026-03-02T14:40:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T14:40:22","slug":"5-things-to-know-for-march-2-war-with-iran-travel-chaos-gas-prices-texas-shooting-primaries-nation-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/186812\/","title":{"rendered":"5 things to know for March 2: War with Iran, Travel chaos, Gas prices, Texas shooting, Primaries | Nation & World"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re feeling on edge watching the headlines, you\u2019re not alone \u2014 the uncertainty after the US entered a war with Iran has rattled many Americans and raised questions about what comes next. President Donald Trump said Sunday that the war could last four to five weeks<\/a>, though analysts emphasize the situation remains fluid.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.<\/p>\n

1\ufe0f\u20e3 War with Iran<\/p>\n

The US and Israel began joint strikes on Iran over the weekend, killing its supreme leader and launching a war that is quickly escalating across the Middle East<\/a>. Iran\u2019s retaliation has been swift and expansive, with attacks targeting almost all of its neighbors, many of which are US-allied Gulf countries typically regarded as safe, luxury destinations for tourists and expats. CNN has reported on deaths and damage in the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. At least three US service members<\/a> were killed in Kuwait, with President Donald Trump warning there could be more US casualties.<\/p>\n

VISUALS: Here\u2019s a look at the conflict in maps and charts<\/a><\/p>\n

2\ufe0f\u20e3 Travel chaos<\/p>\n

Air travel across the Middle East has been thrown into chaos by the war in Iran, as thousands of flights are grounded<\/a> in one of the world\u2019s busiest travel regions. Several airlines in US-friendly Gulf states have been affected, including in United Arab Emirates cities Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which have become the target of Iranian retaliation for hosting US military bases. Airspace closures are also in place over Qatar, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain and Iraq. The disruptions are expected to last for at least several more days. Travelers are urged to check with their airlines about rebooking or refunds, though many are reporting long waits and limited assistance due to overwhelming demand.<\/p>\n

3\ufe0f\u20e3 Gas prices<\/p>\n

Oil and natural gas prices jumped today as the conflict with Iran intensifies, threatening the flow of energy to global markets. Brent crude, the global benchmark, spiked 9% to trade at above $79 a barrel. The US benchmark, meanwhile, climbed nearly 8% to around $73 a barrel. Large-scale unrest, strikes that take out oil production, or a shutdown of a critical oil shipping channel could eventually send oil to $100 a barrel or even higher, industry analysts warn. If that happens \u2014 and the market is currently betting against that scenario \u2014 gasoline prices could go through the roof<\/a>. That could force Americans to pay a price for regime change in Iran, further exacerbating affordability concerns.<\/p>\n

4\ufe0f\u20e3 Texas shooting<\/p>\n

Two people were killed and 14 others injured early Sunday in a mass shooting in Austin, Texas, as a bar in a busy nightlife district was preparing to close. Investigators are examining whether the suspect \u2014 who was fatally shot by police \u2014 was motivated by recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran<\/a>, though officials caution it\u2019s too early to draw conclusions. The suspected gunman was wearing a shirt with an Iranian flag beneath a hoodie reading \u201cProperty of Allah,\u201d a law enforcement official told CNN. Authorities were also seen on Sunday at a home connected to the suspect, likely investigating his phones and computers to determine if he was reading any propaganda or left any writings indicating his motive.<\/p>\n

5\ufe0f\u20e3 Primaries<\/p>\n

Voters head to the polls Tuesday for the first state primaries<\/a> in Arkansas, North Carolina and Texas \u2014 an early test of party strength in this year\u2019s election cycle. The contests could offer a snapshot of where Democrats and Republicans stand with their core voters as candidates look for signs of momentum heading into the general election. The marquee race is the US Senate primary in Texas, analysts say. Early voting data suggest a notable uptick in early Democratic turnout, which could point to a continuing trend of strong enthusiasm among the party\u2019s base.<\/p>\n

Breakfast browseActor Awards 2026<\/p>\n

The show formerly known as the SAG Awards took place on Sunday in Los Angeles. See who won<\/a>.<\/p>\n

America\u2019s teachers are working two jobs and barely getting by<\/p>\n

Across the country, many of America\u2019s teachers are taking on side hustles and second jobs<\/a> just to make ends meet.<\/p>\n

Hospitals are making cuts<\/p>\n

Some hospitals and clinics tell CNN they are shutting down or scaling back services<\/a> after the \u201cbig beautiful bill\u201d slashed more than $1 trillion in federal health care funding.<\/p>\n

How a pacemaker for the brain could help Parkinson\u2019s patients<\/p>\n

A groundbreaking international clinical trial has been testing this implanted device<\/a> as a treatment therapy for Parkinson\u2019s.<\/p>\n

AI isn\u2019t causing a jobs-pocalypse<\/p>\n

Contrary to the chatter you may hear online, AI isn\u2019t on the verge of wiping out entire industries<\/a>. History even shows that the most disruptive technologies have not shrunk the economy, analysts say.<\/p>\n

Weather<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udf24\ufe0f Check your local forecast<\/a> to see what you can expect.<\/p>\n

And finally\u2026\u25b6\ufe0f Does Trump need Congress to go to war?<\/p>\n

Congress hasn\u2019t officially declared war since World War II, but presidents have used a string of legal loopholes for military action without going to Congress. CNN\u2019s Phil Mattingly explains<\/a> in this video.<\/p>\n

The-CNN-Wire<\/p>\n

\u2122 & \u00a9 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s edition of 5 Things AM was edited and produced by CNN\u2019s Andrew Torgan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you\u2019re feeling on edge watching the headlines, you\u2019re not alone \u2014 the uncertainty after the US entered…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":186562,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[132,134,133,33659,1525],"class_list":["post-186812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-austin","tag-austin","tag-austin-headlines","tag-austin-news","tag-nation-world","tag-social"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=186812"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186812\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/186562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=186812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=186812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=186812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}