“Texas is primed to turn blue and we must remain united because this is bigger than any one person,” Crockett said in a statement. “This is about the future of all 30 million Texans and getting America back on track.”
Texas state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, greets supporters at a primary election watch party Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Crockett’s campaign had previously suggested that she would file a lawsuit over voting challenges in the primary. A spokesperson did not immediately respond to a question about those plans.
Talarico will face the winner of the Republican runoff, either Sen. John Cornyn or state Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks during a primary election watch party Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
By STEPHEN GROVES, LISA MASCARO and MARY CLARE JALONICK
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Senate is headed toward a vote Wednesday on President Donald Trump’s decision to embark on a war against Iran, an extraordinary test in Congress for a conflict that has rapidly spread across the Middle East with no clear U.S. exit strategy.
The legislation, known as a war powers resolution, gives lawmakers an opportunity to demand congressional approval before any further attacks are carried out. The Senate resolution and a similar bill being voted on in the House later this week face unlikely paths through the Republican-controlled Congress and would almost certainly be vetoed by Trump even if they were to pass.
Nonetheless, the votes marked a weighty moment for lawmakers. Their decisions on the five-day-old war — which Trump entered without congressional approval — could determine the fates of U.S. military members, countless other lives and the future of the region.
“Wars without clear objectives do not remain small. They get bigger, bloodier, longer and more expensive,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer at a news conference Tuesday. “This is not a necessary war. It’s a war of choice.”
Trump administration scrambles for congressional support
After launching a surprise attack against Iran on Saturday, Trump has scrambled to win support for a conflict that Americans of all political persuasions were already wary of entering. Trump administration officials have been a frequent presence on Capitol Hill this week as they try to reassure lawmakers that they have the situation under control.
“We are not going to put American troops in harm’s way,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in a raucous news conference at the Capitol Tuesday.
Trump has also not ruled out deploying U.S. ground troops. He has said he is hoping to end the bombing campaign within a few weeks, but his goals for the war have shifted from regime change to stopping Iran from developing nuclear capabilities to crippling its navy and missile programs.
“I think they are achieving great success with what they’ve done so far,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday, adding that what happens next in the country will be “largely up to the Iranian people.”
Almost all Republican senators were readying to vote Wednesday against the war powers resolution to halt military action, but a number still expressed hesitation at the idea of deploying troops on the ground in Iran.
“I don’t think the American people want to see troops on the ground,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., as he exited a classified briefing Tuesday. He added that Trump administration officials “left open that possibility,” but it wasn’t an option they were emphasizing.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., center, joined at left by Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the GOP whip, speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., center, and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., left, arrive to speak with reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Kaine is leading an effort to advance a swift vote on a war powers resolution that would restrain President Donald Trump’s military attack on Iran. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to reporters as he arrives for an intelligence briefing with top lawmakers on Iran, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Mar. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrives for a briefing for lawmakers on Iran at a secure room in the basement of the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks to reporters during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., center, joined at left by Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the GOP whip, speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The votes in Congress this week represented potentially consequential markers of just where lawmakers stand on the war as they look ahead to midterm elections and the consequences of the conflict.
“Nobody gets to hide and give the president an easy pass or an end-run around the Constitution,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, the Virginia Democrat leading the war powers resolution. “Everybody’s got to declare whether they’re for this war or against it.”
Republican leaders have successfully, though narrowly, defeated a series of war powers resolutions pertaining to several other conflicts that Trump has entered or threatened to enter. This one, however, is different.
Unlike Trump’s military campaigns against alleged drug boats or even Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, the attack on Iran represents an open-ended conflict that is already ricocheting across the region. For Republicans who are used to operating in a political party dominated by Trump and his promises of keeping the U.S. out of foreign entanglements, the moment represented a bit of whiplash.
“War is ugly, it always has been ugly, but we’re taking out a regime that has been trying to attack us for quite some time,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican.
Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who has long pushed Trump to engage overseas, argued that the widening conflict represented an opportunity for Arab and European countries to join in the fight against Iran and the militant groups it supports.
“I don’t mind people being on record as to whether or not they think this is a good idea,” he told reporters, but also argued that too much power over the military was ceded to Congress in the War Powers Act, which mandates that presidents must withdraw troops from a conflict within 90 days if there is no congressional authorization.
House vote looms
On the other side of the Capitol, House leaders were also readying for an intense debate over the war followed by a vote Thursday.
“I do believe we have the votes to defeat it, I certainly hope we do,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said after an all-member briefing on Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said he expected a strong showing from Democrats in favor of the war powers resolution.
As lawmakers emerged from a closed-door briefing Tuesday night, Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, implored the Trump administration to “come to Congress” and speak directly to the American people about the rationale for the war.
His voice filled with emotion as he said, “Our young men and women’s lives are on the line.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., arrives to speak with reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The Detroit Red Wings made a pitch for Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers, but it appears he’s not willing to waive his no-trade clause.
Now they must turn their attention elsewhere.
Acquiring a second-pair defenseman, preferably a right-shooter, by Friday’s trade deadline is a priority.
The Red Wings need someone to pair with Ben Chiarot, enabling them to move rookie Axel Sandin-Pellikka down to the third pairing, where he’ll face fewer difficult matchups.
Here are nine possibilities, with age and contract status after this season:
Justin Faulk, St. Louis (age 33, one year at $6.5 million): A solid two-way player who might be at the top of the Red Wings’ wish list. Problem is, several teams are in on him, elevating the cost. He has a partial no-trade list.
Dougie Hamilton, New Jersey (age 32, two years at a $9 million AAV): He’s one of the more offensively dynamic defensemen who might be moved. He has a no- movement clause.
Nick Jensen, Ottawa (age 35, unrestricted free agent): The former Red Wing is a serviceable stay-at-home defender.
Rasmus Ristolainen, Philadelphia (age 31, one year at $5.1 million): Speaking of having played for a lot of bad clubs, this longtime Sabres and Flyers stay-at-home defender has appeared in 798 regular season games and no playoff games.
Luke Schenn, Winnipeg (age 36, unrestricted free agent): Physical defenseman has played for nine teams in 18 NHL seasons and could be on the move again.
Braden Schneider, N.Y. Rangers (age 24, restricted free agent): This young, physical, shutdown defender, drafted 19th overall in 2020 won’t come cheap as an impending RFA. The Rangers have no urgency to move him now.
Logan Stanley, Winnipeg (age 27, unrestricted free agent): Even though he shoots left, this 6-7 defender experiencing his best season might be the Red Wings’ most realistic trade target. He’ll be moved if the Jets can’t re-sign him this week.
MacKenzie Weegar, Calgary (age 32, five years at a $6.25 million AAV): He scored 20 goals in 2023-24, but that was an outlier, as he’s mostly valued for his defense. That’s a huge contract to assume for a player that age, however. He has a full no-trade clause.
Zach Whitecloud, Calgary (age 29, two years at a $2.75 million AAV): Traded from Vegas to Calgary on Jan. 18 in the Rasmus Andersson deal, Whitecloud could be on the move again.
Detroit Red Wings’ Lucas Raymond (23) shoots past St. Louis Blues’ Justin Faulk (72) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, in St. Louis. (JEFF ROBERSON — AP Photo, file)
MADRID (AP) — Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez again criticized the U.S. and Israel’s military actions in Iran, standing firm on Wednesday against trade threats from Washington and warning that the war in the Middle East risked “playing Russian roulette” with millions of lives.
“We are not going to be complicit in something that is bad for the world and is also contrary to our values and interests, just out of fear of reprisals from someone,” Sánchez said in a televised address.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to end U.S. trade with Spain because of Spain’s refusal to allow the U.S. to use joint military bases in the country in its attacks on Iran.
Sánchez has called the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran an “unjustifiable” and “dangerous” military intervention.
It’s not clear how Trump would cut off trade with Spain, which is a member of the European Union. The EU negotiates trade on behalf of all its 27 member states.
On Wednesday, Sánchez expressed concern that the attacks on Iran could lead to another costly military quagmire in the Middle East, similar to the past American interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“In short, the position of the government of Spain can be summarized in four words,” Sánchez said. “No to the war.”
The EU said Wednesday it would protect its interests and work to stabilize its trade relationship with the U.S, with which it struck a trade deal last year after months of economic uncertainty over Trump’s tariff blitz.
“We stand in full solidarity with all member states and all its citizens and, through our common trade policy, stand ready to act if necessary to safeguard EU interests,” said European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill.
After Spain denied U.S. use of its bases, Trump on Tuesday said “we could use their base if we want,” referencing the Rota and Morón installations in southern Spain that the U.S. and Spain share, but which remain under Spanish command. “We could just fly in and use it,” Trump said. “Nobody’s going to tell us not to use it, but we don’t have to.”
Tuesday’s threats from Washington were just the latest instance of the U.S. president wielding the threat of tariffs or trade embargoes as punishment. The U.S. Supreme Court last month struck down Trump’s far-reaching global tariffs, saying emergency powers do not allow the president to unilaterally impose sweeping tariffs.
However, Trump maintains that the court allows him to instead impose full-scale embargoes on other nations of his choosing.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks during a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
Spain has not had any direct contact with the U.S. since Trump’s criticisms, Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said Wednesday.
“I want to send a message of calm,” Cuerpo told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser. “Beyond those comments (by Trump), there have not been any more moves (by the U.S.).”
Spain’s main business groups expressed concerns over the U.S. trade threat, calling the U.S. a “key partner from an economic and political standpoint.”
“We trust that our trade relations will ultimately not be affected in any way,” the Spanish business chambers CEOE, CEPYME and ATA said Tuesday.
Last year, Spain’s central bank issued a report that concluded Europe’s fourth-largest economy was relatively cushioned compared to the EU average when it came to exposure to tariffs by Trump.
Spain’s exports and imports with the U.S. accounted for 4.4% of GDP, the Bank of Spain said, while trade with the U.S. for the EU as a whole was 10.1%.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks during a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
Exports of Spanish goods to the U.S. accounted for 1% of Spain’s GDP, or $18.6 billion, making it Spain’s sixth largest export market for goods, the bank concluded. The Southern European nation’s main exports to the U.S. include pharmaceutical products, olive oil refined gas and electrical transformers, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity.
Spain’s position on the Iran conflict is the latest flare-up in its relationship with the Trump administration.
Spain was an outspoken critic of Israel’s war in Gaza and attracted Trump’s ire last year when it backed out of NATO’s pledge to increase defense spending by members to 5% of GDP. At the time, Spain said it could meet its estimated defense needs by spending less — just 2.1% of its GDP — a move that Trump roundly criticized and also threatened with tariffs in response.
Wilson reported from Barcelona. Associated Press journalist Sam McNeil in Brussels contributed to this report.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks during a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
The Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers had two thrilling matchups over the past week, splitting the results and offering a sneak peak of what could be a matchup in this year’s playoffs.
Both matchups have featured intense play, but off the court the Cavaliers drew some attention as cleveland.com reported an anonymous Cleveland player said after Friday’s game that the Pistons “aren’t in our class.”
The words caught some attention on social media after the game and before Tuesday’s matchup, coach J.B. Bickerstaff was asked for his response.
The second-year Pistons coach didn’t need many words to react.
“I have no response,” Bickerstaff said. “If you mean it, don’t say it anonymously.”
It’s no surprise that a playoff caliber team like Cleveland — or Detroit for that matter — would have plenty of confidence in their ability to compete.
The Pistons (45-15) firmly believe the Eastern Conference runs through them right now as they’ve held tight to the top spot since early November. But the Cavaliers (39-24) have now backed up some of their words by winning the rematch with a returning James Harden.
To suggest the two teams are separated by a considerable margin is hard to give much credence, given they split the regular-season series 2-2 and the past two games have come down to the very end.
There are no more regular-season meeting for the Central Division foes, so if there’s going to be more to this saga, it’s going to come in the playoffs.
With the Pistons holding the No. 1 seed and Cleveland currently the No. 4, a second-round playoff matchup would be in the cards if the first round went chalk.
It’s hard to think of a better way to decide which team is a class above than a playoff series.
Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, left, talks with referee Ed Malloy during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Phoenix Suns Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Detroit. (DUANE BURLESON — AP Photo, file)
The Detroit Lions have had a busy week, making multiple roster moves that have shaken up their plans for free agency.
On Monday, the team traded veteran running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans for offensive lineman Juice Scruggs and two draft picks, then released center Graham Glasgow. As a result, the team has added some cap space and could be more active in free agency.
While there are conflicting reports about how exactly general manager Brad Holmes plans to attack free agency, the Lions could certainly benefit from adding experienced talent in areas of need prior to the NFL draft.
While the team may not be in position to make a massive move, there are certainly marginal mid-tier players who could have big roles on the team’s 2026 roster.
Here are six potential free agent targets for the Lions when free agency begins next week, ranked by potential impact in 2026 and beyond.
6. S Jalen Thompson
The Lions have some uncertainty at the safety position due to injuries, as Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph are both nursing significant injuries. While both could wind up returning to form, at this stage of the offseason there’s no guarantee that they’ll be ready to go by the start of the regular season.
As a result, the Lions should be proactive and go get a veteran capable of starting in the back-half of their defense. Thompson is a seven-year veteran who has spent the duration of his career in Arizona, and has notched nine interceptions in that span. A willing run defender, Thompson would be an effective veteran addition who could provide insurance on a short-term deal.
5. OT Braxton Jones
Having already made an external addition to their interior offensive line by acquiring Scruggs, but could also be looking to add veteran help at tackle. Swing tackle Dan Skipper retired and joined the team’s coaching staff, and this could be a role the Lions look to a veteran to fill.
Enter Jones, who has starter upside but at the very least will be a serviceable depth piece behind Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell. With Decker being hampered by injuries last year, it would be a good investment by Detroit to add a veteran who has 44 starts under their belt like Jones.
4. CB Kader Kohou
Kohou may be a forgotten name amongst fan circles, as he missed all of last season with a knee injury. However, the Lions have pursued players with similar profiles over Holmes’ tenure as head coach, and the Lions have a need for secondary depth.
Amik Robertson, who has been the team’s slot corner for the better part of the last two years, is set to be a free agent. As a result, any addition the team could make would likely need to have some versatility. Kohou’s background is in the slot, as he had predominately played nickel for the Dolphins.
In an ideal world, the Lions are able to get the best out of Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw along with a strong year from D.J. Reed. However, Kohou has some upside at age 27 and could be a nice addition to the mostly young secondary.
3. RB Brian Robinson Jr.
The trade of Montgomery shakes up the Lions’ backfield, and breaks up what had been one of the league’s most prolific duos. As a result, the Lions could be in the market for another back to pair with the dynamic Jahmyr Gibbs.
Robinson is a big-bodied back who has fit nicely in a tandem throughout his career. He was a feature back at times for the Commanders, but was most recently a complimentary piece behind Christian McCaffrey in San Francisco.
In four seasons, Robinson has totaled 662 carries and 2,729 yards. With a career average of 4.1 yards per carry, he’s a big back who can be a nice second option behind Gibbs.
2. EDGE Boye Mafe
Aidan Hutchinson is one of the unquestioned top pass-rushers in the game, but the Lions will need to be sure to add or retain players around him at the position. Both Al-Quadin Muhammad and Marcus Davenport are free agents, and the Lions would be well-suited to look externally.
Mafe doesn’t have eye-popping statistics, but a closer look at his impact for the Super Bowl champion Seahawks indicates that he could fit Detroit’s defense well. He plays with a high motor, and could thrive working opposite of Hutchinson.
1. IOL Cade Mays
Even after acquiring Scruggs, the Lions still have some uncertainty on the interior offensive line. For starters, the release of Glasgow leaves them without a true center. Dan Campbell and company may be inclined to give Tate Ratledge another shot at the position, but Mays seems to be an ideal fit.
Mays started 27 of his 52 appearances over four seasons in Carolina, and impressed in 2025 when given the opportunity to start at the pivot position. The Tennessee product has the chance to blossom in a more consistent role, and the Lions’ current vacancy is the perfect fit for him.
Detroit may be out of the price range on top centers Tyler Linderbaum and Connor McGovern, but a player like Mays is a mid-tier, affordable option with plenty of upside to help stabilize the offensive line.
This article was produced by the staff at Detroit Lions On SI. For more, visit si.com/nfl/lions/onsi
Miami Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou (4) grabs Las Vegas Raiders running back Alexander Mattison (22) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (LYNNE SLADKY — AP Photo, file)
Denver is on track to see one of the city’s driest winters on record after only traces of snow fell in February, according to the National Weather Service.
Roughly 13.4 inches of snow fell in the Denver area between September and February, according to the weather service. On average, Denver records 34.8 inches of snow during that timeframe.
With only traces of snow falling in Denver in February, the city officially tied its record for the least-snowy February since 1882, when the agency started keeping snowfall records, according to the weather service. The previous record for lack of February snowfall was set in 2009.
Denver saw 0.02 inches of total precipitation, making it the second-driest February on record, and an average monthly temperature of 42.1 degrees, the third-warmest on record, weather service meteorologists said.
The warmest February in Denver’s history was in 1954, with an average temperature of 43.7 degrees, according to the agency. Temperature and precipitation records started in 1872.
One of the warmest and driest Februaries on record for much of northeast Colorado.
Denver's stats:
Least snowiest (trace) 2nd driest (0.02") 3rd warmest (42.1°F)
By Hannah Fingerhut, Konstantin Toropin, and Rebecca Boone THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor was just days away from returning home to her husband and two children when a drone strike at a command center in Kuwait killed her and five other U.S. service members.
“She was almost home,” her husband, Joey Amor, said from their home in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, on Tuesday. “You don’t go to Kuwait thinking something’s going to happen, and for her to be one of the first – it hurts.”
Amor was one of four U.S. soldiers killed in the Iran war on Sunday and identified Tuesday by the Pentagon; two soldiers haven’t yet been publicly identified. The members of the Army Reserve worked in logistics and kept troops supplied with food and equipment.
They died just one day after the U.S. and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones against Israel and several Gulf Arab states that host U.S. armed forces.
Those killed also included Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, lowa, who was posthumously promoted from specialist. No other names were released.
“These men and women all bravely volunteered to defend our country, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll said.
All were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, which provides food, fuel, water and ammunition, transport equipment and supplies.
“Sadly, there will likely be more, before it ends. That’s the way it is,” President Donald Trump said of deaths.
One of the youngest in his class
Coady had just told his father last week that he had been recommended for a promotion from specialist to sergeant, a rank he received posthumously.
He was one of the youngest people in his class but seemed to impress his instructors, his father Andrew Coady said Tuesday.
“He was very good at what he did,” he said.
Coady trained as an information technology specialist with the Army Reserves and was studying cybersecurity at Drake University in Des Moines. He was taking online classes while in Kuwait and wanted to become an officer.
“I still don’t fully think it’s real,” his sister Keira Coady said. “I just remember all of our conversations about what he was going to do when he came back.”
A mother of two who loved gardening
Amor, 39, was an avid gardener who enjoyed making salsa from the peppers and tomatoes in her garden with her son, a senior in high school. She also enjoyed rollerblading and bicycling with her fourth-grade daughter.
A week before the drone attack, Amor was moved off-base to a shipping container-style building that had no defenses, Joey Amor said.
“They were dispersing because they were in fear that the base they were on was going to get attacked and they felt it was safer in smaller groups in separate places,” he said.
He last spoke to her about two hours before she was killed. He said she was working long shifts and they had been messaging about her tripping and falling the night before.
“She just never responded in the morning,” he said.
A calling to serve his country
Khork was very patriotic and drawn from a young age to serving the U.S., his family said in a statement Tuesday.
He enlisted in the Army Reserve and joined Florida Southern College’s ROTC program.
“That commitment helped shape the course of his life and reflected the deep sense of duty that was always at the core of who he was,” said his mother, Donna Burhans, father, James Khork, and stepmother, Stacey Khork, in a statement.
Khork also loved history and had a degree in political science.
His family described him as “the life of the party, known for his infectious spirit, generous heart, and deep care for those who served alongside him and for everyone blessed to know him.”
One of Khork’s friends, Abbas Jaffer, posted on Facebook on Monday that he had lost the best person he had ever known.
“My best friend, best man, and brother gave his life defending our country overseas,” Jaffer said. Khork and Jaffer had been friends for more than 16 years.
A loving father and husband
Tietjens lived with his family in the Washington Terrace mobile home park in the Omaha suburb of Bellevue, Nebraska. He was married with a son, according to a Facebook page.
Tietjens earned a black belt in Philippine Combatives and Taekwondo and was “an instructor who gave his time, discipline, and leadership to others,” the Philippine Martial Arts Alliance said in a Facebook post.
On the mat and as a soldier, “he carried the same values: honor, discipline, service, and commitment to others,” the organization said.
Nebraska Gov. Gov. Pillen paid tribute to the family Tuesday.
“Noah stepped up to serve and defend the American people from foreign enemies around the world — a sacrifice we must never forget,” he wrote.
“We are holding the Tietjens family close in our hearts during this unbelievably difficult time and will keep them in our prayers,” he said.
___
Boone contributed from Boise, Idaho, and Toropin from Washington. Associated Press reporters Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Ed White in Detroit; Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska; David Fischer in Miami and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.
Keira Coady talks about her brother, Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, outside her home, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in West Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. and Israel’s joint war in Iran has already upended travel across the Middle East, stranding tens of thousands of people. And the future is anything but certain.
Experts stress that flights scheduled in the coming days and weeks could continue to see disruptions — causing ripple effects globally, especially as the war widens with retaliatory strikes in the Gulf states. Beyond the Middle East, airports in the Gulf serve as critical hubs connecting travelers going to Europe, Africa and Asia.
Amid airspace closures across the region, many carriers have been forced to either cancel flights or shift to longer routes. That’s straining operating costs and ticket prices, both of which could become more expensive if airlines have to pay more for fuel the longer the war drags on. In the near future, experts recommend postponing unnecessary travel if possible, checking refund or insurance policies and, most importantly, monitoring safety advisories.
“This is not a normal delay story. This is a conflict zone airspace story,” said Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation — stressing that halted traffic and guidance from carriers, airports and governments may shift each day, if not by the hour. “Travelers should absolutely expect uncertainty.”
Here’s what travelers should know about upcoming trips.
Monitor advisories and other safety information
Since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks over the weekend, retaliatory strikes and other developments have unfolded rapidly. Iran says hundreds of people have been killed in the country. For travelers across the region, experts stress the importance of following safety guidance and updates from government officials.
A handful of governments have also issued travel advisories and emergency evacuation orders. The U.S. State Department on Monday urged all U.S. citizens to immediately leave Iran and Israel, as well as Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, the Palestinian territories, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen using any available commercial transportation — and Secretary of State Marco Rubio pleaded for the media to publicize ways to help Americans evacuate. Meanwhile, countries like China, Italy, France and Germany moved to organize evacuation efforts for their citizens.
Experts like Shahidi say travelers should monitor these travel advisories from governments and embassies to make sure they have the latest information. And because so many people are still stranded amid swaths of cancellations and airspace closures, he added that it’s wise to reconsider or rebook upcoming trips, if possible.
“If travel is optional, consider postponing it,” Shahidi said. “But if it’s necessary, then make sure that you get refundable or changeable fares.”
Travelers should also monitor updates from airports and airlines. Long-haul carriers Etihad Airways and Emirates, based in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, along with Doha-based Qatar Airways all temporarily suspended certain routes — citing airspace closures and safety requirements.
Read the fine print of refunds and insurance
Many airlines are taking refund requests or offering free rebooking — but such options are often limited to specific dates or routes, so it’s important for travelers to check carriers’ individual websites for more information. For future trips, buying refundable tickets now may provide more flexibility.
Beyond what individual airlines can offer, some may also be seeking travel insurance. But it’s important to read the fine print, particularly the exclusions listed under specific policies.
“Acts of war and civil unrest are typically excluded because they’re unpredictable,” said Suzanne Morrow, CEO of travel insurance agency InsureMyTrip. Consumers could still buy coverage for delays, she added, but travel insurance is “designed to make you whole,” and if an airline does everything to rebook you or offers a refund, you may not have an added claim.
Christina Tunnah, of World Nomads Travel Insurance, reiterates that the majority of her firm’s policies excludes coverage for losses resulting from acts of war, although someone might be able to get compensation in certain scenarios — such as if they purchase a “cancel for any reason” plan. Still, the traveler would have to cancel within a certain time frame.
Tunnah adds that once an event is known, it’s unlikely to be covered. So if a consumer has not already purchased traveler insurance, many insurers may have added restrictions to impacted destinations.
Brace for longer flights and higher ticket prices
Beyond cancellations, many carriers are now taking longer routes to avoid closed airspace. Shahidi noted that includes not only closures stemming from this current war but also previous conflicts worldwide.
Navigating these different conflict zones has become increasingly difficult for airlines, because longer routes can be more expensive. It’s industry standard for carriers to pay “overflight fees” when flying through other countries’ airspace — which there could be more of now. And, of course, longer flights need more fuel.
“Those costs will be passed on to the passengers,” explained Bryan Terry, managing director at Alton Aviation Consultancy. If the conflict continues, he said, travelers should “anticipate that some carriers will likely impose fuel surcharges” or increase existing fees.
Passengers have already reported seeing sky-high ticket prices. Experts say those immediate hikes more likely reflect supply and demand as thousands of flights were canceled in recent days. But the costs of those longer routes — paired with oil prices that have already spiked since the U.S. and Israel launched their attacks — could trickle down to consumers further ahead.
The price of crude oil is a key component for jet fuel, which accounted for about 30% of airlines’ operating costs as of 2024, according to research from the International Air Transport Association.
Many routes within the next week are completely sold out or have exorbitant prices for last remaining seats. The market currently shows those costs, while still elevated, are lower for trips booked further out, Terry notes — but, again, if the war drags on or worsens, “those conditions could change at a moment’s notice.”
A traveler checks departure times as many flights are cancelled at Beirut Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, as many airlines canceled flights due to the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
WASHINGTON (AP) — An operations center targeted by an Iranian drone strike that killed six American soldiers on Sunday was located in the heart of a civilian port in Kuwait, miles away from the main Army base, according to satellite images and a U.S. official.
The husband of one of the slain soldiers, who was part of a supply and logistics unit based in Iowa, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the hub was a shipping container-style building and had no defenses.
The development, reported earlier by CNN and CBS News, raises questions about the safety precautions that the U.S. military had in place as it, along with Israel, launched an attack on Iran, which has responded with retaliatory strikes against several countries in the region, including Kuwait. President Donald Trump and top defense leaders say more American casualties are likely.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that the six soldiers were killed in a “tactical operations center” when a projectile made its way past air defenses. A day later, the Pentagon confirmed it was a drone strike in Port Shuaiba when announcing the names of four of the soldiers who were slain.
A satellite image taken Monday and reviewed by the AP showed the main building in the complex destroyed, with a trail of black smoke rising from it. It is located in the heart of Port Shuaiba, a working seaport and industrial area just south of Kuwait City. The U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a matter under active investigation, confirmed the image depicted the location of Sunday’s attack.
This image provided by Planet Labs PBC shows showing a Tactical Operations Center at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, on Monday, March 2, 2026, where U.S. service members were killed Sunday, March 1, 2026, in an Iranian strike. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
The Army base, Camp Arifjan, is more than 10 miles to the south. The operations center was just a little over a mile from some of the piers where merchant ships would offload cargo containers and was surrounded by oil storage tanks, refineries and a power plant.
Joey Amor, husband of Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, said his wife was moved off-base to what he described as a shipping container-style building a week before the Iranian strike. The 39-year-old from White Bear Lake, Minnesota, was one of the soldiers killed in the attack.
“They were dispersing because they were in fear that the base they were on was going to get attacked, and they felt it was safer in smaller groups in separated places,” he said.
This undated photo provided by Joey Amor shows Nicole Amor, left, and Joey Amor smiling for a photo. (Joey Amor via AP)
After news reports about the operations center emerged, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said on social media that the “secure facility was fortified with 6-foot walls.” He said the military has “the most extensive Air Defense umbrella in the world over the Middle East right now and control of the skies is increasing with every wave of airpower.”
Parnell’s office did not respond to questions about what role the walls would have played in defending against a drone attack or what air defenses were present in range of the command center at the port.
Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said “it would be inappropriate to comment given the incident is under investigation.”
Boone reported from Boise, Idaho. Associated Press writer Michael Biesecker contributed to this report.
This image provided by Planet Labs PBC shows a Tactical Operations Center at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, June 26, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Cade Cunningham had 29 points and 11 assists, Tobias Harris scored 23 points and the NBA-leading Detroit Pistons beat the Orlando Magic 106-92 on Sunday night for their sixth straight road victory.
The Pistons improved to 45-14, winning for the eighth time in nine games. They have won 10 of 11 on the road and are 21-7 overall away from home.
Jalen Duren added 16 points and 10 rebounds for Detroit.
Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 24 points and 11 rebounds, but also had nine turnovers. Tristan da Silva added 19 points and Desmond Bane had 17, but the Magic shot 30.7% in the second half and experienced a third-quarter collapse for the second time in three nights. They squandered a 19-point lead in less than four minutes in a loss to Houston on Friday night.
After missing their first 15 3-point attempts, the Pistons were down 57-50 at halftime. They moved ahead for the first time on a 3-pointer by Harris midway through the third quarter, and took command with an 11-0 run.
Detroit forward Isaiah Stewart served the final game of a seven-game suspension for an altercation at Charlotte on Feb. 9. Magic guard Anthony Black missed a game for the first time this season, sitting out with a strained right quad.
Up next
Pistons: At Cleveland on Tuesday night.
Magic: Host Washington on Tuesday night.
— By DICK SCANLON, Associated Press
Orlando Magic forward Tristan da Silva (23) and Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson (9) go after a rebound during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Jaxon Kohler scored a season-high 21 points and Jeremy Fears Jr. added 21 points and nine assists to lead No. 13 Michigan State past Indiana 77-64 on Sunday.
Kur Tang finished with a career-high 18 points, making 6 of 8 from 3-point range — nearly half of the Spartans’ 13 3s. Kohler also grabbed 13 rebounds, his 12th double-double of the season as the Michigan State (24-5, 14-4 Big Ten) won its fourth straight.
The Spartans never trailed in winning at Assembly Hall for just the second time in six trips to complete a road sweep this week. They also won at No. 8 Purdue 76-74 on Thursday. It was coach Tom Izzo’s first trip to Bloomington since he broke the league record for conference wins in February 2025, breaking the mark held by former Hoosiers coach Bob Knight.
Lamar Wilkerson scored 19 of his game-high 29 points in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Indiana (17-12, 8-10) from a fourth consecutive loss. Tucker DeVries finished with 20 points and six rebounds, while Sam Alexis added eight points in a game Indiana’s bench players were shut out.
Michigan State used a hot start to take a 14-5 lead, then relied on its long-range flurry to thwart the Hoosiers from mounting serious challenge. The Spartans extended the margin to 39-26 on Teng’s fourth 3 of the game late in the first half.
Indiana managed to cut the halftime deficit to 45-37, then quickly fell into a 52-41 hole early in the second half. The Hoosiers got as close as 54-48 with 13:41 to play, but Teng answered with another 3 and the Spartans went on a 10-3 spurt to rebuild a 67-55 lead.
The Hoosiers never fully recovered.
Up next
Michigan State: Hosts Rutgers in its home finale Thursday.
Indiana: Closes out its home schedule Wednesday against Minnesota.
— By MICHAEL MAROT, Associated Press
Michigan State forward Jaxon Kohler attempts to get past Indiana forward Reed Bailey (1) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Bloomington, In., Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
EAST LANSING (AP) — Jaloni Cambridge scored 33 points, Chance Gray added 21 and No. 13 Ohio State hit a program record 18 3-pointers in a 87-68 win over No. 15 Michigan State on Sunday afternoon in the regular season finale for both teams.
Cambridge shot 12 of 24 from the field and 7 of 12 from beyond the arc, the most she has made from deep all season. Gray shot 7 of 11 from 3-point range.
Elsa Lemilla recorded a double-double for the Buckeyes (24-6, 13-5 Big Ten) with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Kennedy Cambridge put up 10 points.
The Buckeyes had a 15-0 run in the second quarter, putting them up 38-11, and they went into halftime leading 49-26.
The Spartans (22-7, 11-7) were led in scoring by Grace VanSlooten, with 17. Rashunda Jones scored 16 and Ines Sotelo added 11.
Up next
Michigan State: Will be the No. 7 seed in the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis. The Spartans play on Thursday.
Ohio State: Can be the No. 4 seed in the Big Ten tournament with a Minnesota loss against Illinois, or the No. 5 seed if Minnesota wins.
Michigan State forward Grace VanSlooten drives to the basket against Washington center Yulia Grabovskaia during an NCAA basketball game on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Seattle. (STEPHEN BRASHEAR — AP Photo, file)
Bad Omens’ latest road trek is dubbed the Do You Feel Love Tour, after a refrain from the show-opening “Specter.”
And rest assured there was plenty of affection for the Virginia-formed heavy rock band from a packed Little Caesars Arena on Saturday night, Feb. 28.
Much has happened for the quartet since it first played in the metro area 10 years ago (almost to the day) at the Crofoot Ballroom in Pontiac. Back then it had just a couple of singles behind it, with its first album still six months away. Now Bad Omens is an undeniable global headliner and leader in its genre, with an aggregated fusion of styles — metal, metalcore, emo, ambient — that hits hard but is still mindful of melodies.
Bolstered by plenty of pre-recorded backing tracks, Bad Omens certainly had its share of high-octane bangers such as “Limits,” “Nowhere to Go,” “Artificial Suicide” and “Anything > Human.” But, along with Saturday’s show openers Beartooth and England’s entertainingly mysterious President, it applied a dynamic sensibility that keeps fans on their toes — moshing, crowd-surfing and even dancing to electro-fused songs like “V.A.N.,” “What Do You Want From Me” and the epic “Impose,” the latter one of four 2025 singles that vaulted the group’s popularity even further.
Bad Omens certainly greeted its moment visually as well. Saturday’s 90-minute show delivered an ample amount of spectacle, with 14 angled LED screens above the stage and three more on the sides and behind the band, as well as lasers, smoke jets and enough fire to melt the hockey ice beneath the arena’s seats. There was even a “plot” as five cryptic messages — portrayed with an old school cassette recorder on the screens — between the 18 songs; the contents were largely lost on the crowd but definitely provided a sense of drama that set up each set of ensuing songs.
And despite frontman Noah Sebastian’s assertion that he was “extra nervous” on Saturday, the group’s performance was spot-on, the live and synchronized elements synced tightly together, and with the special effects that accompanied every song. (He also noted that drummer Nick Folio had worked for Little Caesars Pizza for “about two weeks” before one of Bad Omens’ tours.) Confetti rained over the general admission floor during “Impose,” while the encore “Concrete Jungle”/”Dethrone” closed the night like an aural sledgehammer.
Heavy rock act Bad Omens performed Saturday, Feb. 28, to a packed Little Caesars Arena (Photo by Bryan Kirks for Bad Omens)
Saturday’s other acts teed things up nicely for Bad Omens, deploying much of the same kind of sonic synthesis. Bearthooth’s fifty minutes was driven by frontman Caleb Shomo’s physical charisma and infectious enthusiasm (not to mention wisdom in not mentioning the band’s hometown of Columbus, Ohio — never a great selling point in Michigan). And President made good on the intrigue surrounding it; nobody knows who the masked troupe — with monikers such as The President, Heist, Protest and Vice — really is, but that’s only added to the intrigue and its half-hour Detroit debut was certainly strong enough to bring fans back for more.
President also finished with a late-set, recorded message that, “We came to build a movement, a sound, a future” — a sentiment that rang true for all three bands on Saturday. And in their collective hands, that future seems undeniably solid.
Heavy rock act Bad Omens performed Saturday, Feb. 28, to a packed Little Caesars Arena (Photo by Bryan Kirks for Bad Omens)
Three U.S. service members were killed in action and five were seriously wounded, Central Command said Sunday morning, the first reported U.S. casualties in the joint attack with Israel on Iran.
The military also said several other service members suffered minor shrapnel injuries and concussions. After the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, in the operation, strikes across the Middle East continued Sunday, with Israel saying it launched a fresh wave in “the heart of Tehran” and Iran mounting attacks on Israel and across the Persian Gulf.
A strike from Iran killed at least nine people near Jerusalem, according to Israel’s national emergency service, and injured at least 28. Iran’s state broadcaster, citing figures from the Iranian Red Crescent Society, reported 201 dead and 747 injured in the country. The Washington Post could not independently verify the report.
Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader and a vocal opponent of Israel and the West since coming to power in 1989, was killed in U.S.-Israeli attacks Saturday along with other top Iranian leaders.
Social media showed scenes of both grief and celebration in Iran, where the government declared 40 days of mourning and announced a temporary leadership structure.
Israeli defense officials said Sunday that their initial strikes on Iranian leaders, launched in two locations, eliminated 40 military commanders and that they would continue to dismantle Iranian military infrastructure. Iran’s retaliatory attacks included for the first time a strike against Oman, which had served as a mediator in nuclear discussions between Washington and Tehran.
People watch as smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.(AP Photo)
PARIS (AP) — He is known as the French Banksy — or simply JR. Now the artist popular across France for large-scale projects, from photographs to graffiti and street art, wants Parisians to do something unusual on the city’s arguably most famous bridge: stop.
In June, he plans to transform the bustling Pont Neuf that dates back to the 17th century into a walk-through “cave” — a temporary, monumental public artwork that will cover the stone arches with a rocky illusion and invite visitors to cross the River Seine through a tunnel, complete with sound and digitally augmented reality.
He says it’s possibly the “largest immersive installation ever made” and — one that will be accessible around the clock and offer a “totally different approach” to the bridge.
“We’re about to leave something pretty incredible in the middle of Paris,” JR told The Associated Press at his studio in eastern Paris, wearing his trademark hat and shades.
His project, the Pont Neuf Cavern is to run June 6-28, spanning 120 meters (yards) in length and over 17 meters in height.
French artist JR shows his project Pont Neuf Cavern during an interview with The Associated Press in his studio, in Paris, France, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
A tribute — and a gamble
The installation is a nod to a Paris legend: the late artistic duo Christo and Jeanne-Claude who in 1985 wrapped Pont Neuf — and its streetlamps — in a pale golden fabric. The project, which took years of negotiations with the authorities, helped define the genre of monumental public art in modern cities across the world.
To JR, the homage is both aesthetic and personal.
“I had the chance to meet Christo along the years,” he said. “We had big respect for each other’s work.”
French artist JR shows his project Pont Neuf Cavern during an interview with The Associated Press in his studio, in Paris, France, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
While walking recently on the street with an AP crew, an older woman stopped JR — now, a household name in his country — to share her memories of the Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrapping. She told him she was excited to see the bridge transformed again.
Still, JR — a pseudonym stemming from first name, Jean-René — acknowledges the weight of following in the iconic pair’s footsteps.
“It’s pretty hard to go after them,” he said, “but I’m doing it in a very different style, in my own way.”
His idea is about “bringing back mineral and nature” to the heart of Paris.
From the outside, his installation will make Pont Neuf look “as if it has been overtaken by a prehistoric outcrop,” a structure visible along the banks of the Seine — a rocky mass that is “literally going to break the landscape,” he said.
A photomontage shows the project by French artist JR called Pont Neuf Cavern in his studio, in Paris, France, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Two experiences: the city, then the cave
JR said there will be two main ways for people to experience his installation. From the outside, those heading to Pont Neuf will see the giant installation hundreds of meters away.
And from the inside, once visitors enter the “cave” on Pont Neuf, they will be able to walk through a long tunnel-like structure, having a feeling of “total immersion,” he said.
The cave will allow no daylight in and once inside, visitors “will lose track of time,” JR said.
A key collaborator on the project is Thomas Bangalter, a former member of French rock band Daft Punk who is creating the sound to accompany the installation — “something you’ll only hear from the inside,” JR said.
Snap’s AR studio in Paris is developing the augmented reality technology. Visitors will be able to use their smartphones to “experience and see things that you can’t see with your eyes,” JR said.
He is intentionally mysterious about what that is — keeping it a surprise until closer to the opening.
JR’s team conducted extensive engineering studies, including tests in a hangar at Paris’ Orly airport, to understand how the structure behaves, especially in an emergency when the electricity that fuels the cave’s air supply cuts off. Tests show the structure stays the same. There is also the security question — the bridge is a busy zone, especially during Paris’ tourist-packed early summer.
JR said visitor numbers will be limited at any given time, and that his team is consulting with authorities on that. During the three weeks of the exhibition, the installation will be continuously monitored.
A photomontage shows the project by French artist JR called Pont Neuf Cavern in his studio, in Paris, France, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
A cave, and a metaphor
JR is best known for his large-scale art — enormous portraits pasted on buildings, border walls and rooftops. Because of his origins in graffiti and street art he has inevitably drawn comparison with Banksy, the elusive U.K.-based artist famous for his huge murals and activism.
JR’s installation will not have any massive faces, but the theme is still human, he says: gathering, connection, and what people project onto a shared space.
He says his installation is also an allusion to Plato’s allegory of the cave in which chained men interpret shadows on the cave wall as reality, ignorant of the real world outside — and compares that to the fake reality created by the visual world of our social media platforms.
“What are our caves today is our phone,” JR said, “because we … believe that … our algorithm on social media … is the reality.”
During the installation, which will coincide with June’s Paris Fashion Week and World Music Day, the bridge will close to traffic.
French artist JR gestures during an interview with the Associated Press next to the Pont Neuf bridge about his project called Pont Neuf Cavern, in Paris, France, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
LOS ANGELES — Some of this year’s Oscar-nominated documentary shorts hit so hard, viewers may be grateful to come across one that simply follows donkeys visiting an observatory in the desert — even if it bumps up against the very boundaries of the genre.
‘All the Empty Rooms’
Director Joshua Seftel hadn’t spoken with his former colleague, longtime CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman, in 25 years. Then Hartman, famed for stories of human kindness and compassion, reached out: He and photojournalist Lou Bopp had been documenting bedrooms left behind by children killed in American school shootings.
“I said to him, ‘This could be a great film,’” says Seftel, though Hartman asked not to be in it. “I said, ‘You are the “Good News Guy” and people trust you. If the Good News Guy is telling you he’s got some bad news, people are going to listen.’ ”
The rooms provide silent testament to those who once lived there. One is festooned in SpongeBob memorabilia; another contains the rack on which a girl would arrange her outfits for the week.
“You meet these families and hear the stories and there’s a heaviness” in the rooms, says Seftel. He says he could see them weigh on Bopp and Hartman. A filmmaker friend, on seeing the film, told Seftel, “Steve Hartman is a haunted man.”
A scene from “Armed Only With a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud.” (HBO/Warner Bros. Discovery/TNS)
‘Armed Only With a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud’
Brent Renaud and his brother, Craig, made documentaries in Haiti, Egypt, Iraq and other hot spots, and won awards for their portrait of a troubled Chicago school. Then, while covering the war in Ukraine, Brent was killed by Russian soldiers.
“For Brent, it was always a focus on people caught in the middle of conflicts,” says Craig Renaud. “Going back to the front lines over and over again, we often had to be on the ground for months at a time in these war zones.”
Included in the clips of Brent Renaud’s work: a weeping Iraqi woman clutching the bloody jeans of her slain son; Renaud interviewing a Honduran boy embarking on the hazardous trek to the U.S. on his own; and a Somali man telling Renaud, “The way you hold the camera, you’re doing it from your heart.”
It also includes casual mention of his diagnosis as neurodivergent.
“He’s calm as a monk in a firefight,” Craig Renaud says, “but a cocktail party in Brooklyn is absolutely terrifying.”
‘Children No More: Were and Are Gone’
In Tel Aviv, a group of Israeli protesters stands silently, holding posters emblazoned with the faces of Palestinian children who have been killed in Gaza by the Israeli military.
“They didn’t choose to be part of this war,” says Israeli filmmaker Hilla Medalia. “They were killed not because they brought it on themselves, but because someone decided they needed to die.”
Medalia’s film follows activists whose silent vigils draw both support and condemnation. So far, despite sometimes having to abandon their protests when situations become potentially threatening, they remain undaunted.
“Their focus is to stop the war and this war crime and other things that are happening in our name, and to force the general public to confront those images and to look at the kids and to feel for them,” Medalia says. “It’s amazing to me how humanity and compassion become an act of resistance.”
A scene from “The Devil Is Busy.” (HBO/Warner Bros. Discovery/TNS)
‘The Devil Is Busy’
At a women’s health clinic in Atlanta, a typical day includes religious protesters on megaphones (“All men,” points out co-director Geeta Gandbhir) and women seeking help only to discover their pregnancies are just past the six-week mark, making terminating them illegal in Georgia.
“We decided to focus on the providers,” says Gandbhir. “They’re putting themselves at risk to provide care. What you see are the hurdles they face.”
Co-director Christalyn Hampton says the burdens on these independent clinics have drastically increased as about 50 Planned Parenthood sites closed last year. She points out the spectrum of healthcare provided and the complexity of situations for both patients, many of whom must travel considerable distances, and providers.
“When the technician is giving the young lady a sonogram, the [patient] goes through several emotions: She’s happy, she’s crying, she’s nervous. That speaks to the vulnerability these women feel when they have to make certain decisions. That emotional moment [reminds us] of that human aspect.”
‘Perfectly a Strangeness’
A trio of donkeys traverses a desert to an observatory. Captured with creative camera angles and accompanied by an imaginative score, Alison McAlpine’s film pushes the boundaries of what documentaries are.
While shooting her previous feature in Chile, McAlpine noticed donkeys hanging out around an observatory. “We hired three gentle donkeys [for the film]. It was a combination of trying to direct the donkeys up from the valley to the observatory, and sometimes we just followed the donkeys.”
McAlpine acknowledges that her film has been difficult to categorize. “Sometimes it’s at IDFA, which is an international documentary festival. Sometimes it’s just competing with fiction, where it’s been lucky to win awards sometimes. But what is a documentary? As soon as you put on a lens and a frame, it’s a personal document, not something objective.
“I’ve been moved because people have been touched; they seem to be transported elsewhere, which is what one wants as a filmmaker.”
According to relationship scientist Paul Eastwick, online dating is a market where there are dramatic winners and losers. “I think our modern existence happens to pull from modes of interaction that really amp up the importance of mate value,” Eastwick said. “But it does not have to be this way, and for a long time, it was not this way.”
This is the genesis of Eastwick’s decades-long research about how people initiate and maintain close relationships. His new book “Bonded by Evolution: The New Science of Love and Connection” argues against evolutionary psychology’s philosophy of dating and relationships — debunking ideas like money matters most to women, looks matter most to men and everyone has an inherent objective “mate value.” In his work, the University of California Davis psychology professor offers a dating and relationships alternative in which compatibility trumps all.
His new book “Bonded by Evolution: The New Science of Love and Connection” argues against evolutionary psychology’s philosophy of dating and relationships— debunking ideas like money matters most to women, looks matter most to men and everyone has an inherent objective “mate value.” (Handout/Crown/TNS)
Since the dawn of his career, Eastwick has had more than one bone to pick with evolutionary psychology.
The theoretical approach, which studies human behavior, cognition and emotions as products of natural selection, depicts relationship formation as sales-like, highly gendered and strategy-based. That model, which Eastwick calls the “EvoScript,” has never squared with his view of close relationships.
The researcher has long viewed the EvoScript as outdated and exaggerated if not completely incorrect. But it was only a few years ago, when online communities of so-called incels started latching onto evolutionary psychology’s story of close relationships that he began to see the EvoScript as dangerous.
“It was upon realizing that there’s this fun house mirror version of [evolutionary] psych out there that I was like, I think it’s time,” Eastwick said. “There was a wake-up call for me that, we need a scientific book out there that’s going to bring the most contemporary science to people.”
In his work, Eastwick argues that desirability is subjective and unpredictable — and that all anyone really wants is a secure attachment bond that sustains them through good and bad seasons.
The Times talked to Eastwick about how to reimagine the dating “numbers game,” tips for better dates and why men and women ultimately want the same thing.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
You write in your book that “online dating can bring the worst parts of dating to the fore by exaggerating gender differences and making you feel like a clearance item at the bottom of the bin.” What are the long-term and short-term psychological effects of that on people as they go through their dating lives?
“It makes dating feel a little bit like a job, like you’re making sales pitches, and you can set your sights high, but ultimately you’re going to have to settle. It makes the whole thing feel like you’re trying to get a deal, and I just think these are bad metaphors, especially if we want to be happy in the long run. But there is a slow burn approach that feels more like finding connection, opening oneself up, spending time getting to know other people sometimes just for the sake of getting to know other people. Part of what I want to do in the book is remind people that there are other ways — and those other ways also happen to be more democratic, for lack of a better word there — that pull for more idiosyncrasy and give more people a chance to find partners that will really appeal to them.
If you’re trying to tackle the EvoScript, as you call it, what is your thesis about dating?
My thesis is that, if we want to think about the nature of human relationships, how did people evolve to form close relationships, I would describe it as a search for compatibility in small groups. What people classically have looked for and what classically makes for the best, most satisfying pairings are finding and building something compatible with another person from a pretty limited range of options.
OK, so I need to meet people in person. I need to make friend groups. Where do you go to do that now, when things are expensive and a lot of life is online?
For somebody who’s heterosexual, if you’re a woman, it’s like, “OK, where am I gonna meet guys? Where are the guys out there?” Don’t worry if the guys are going to be there, because oftentimes when people meet partners, it’s like, friends of friends of friends, right? It’s all making connections. Maybe it’s sports, maybe it’s activities, maybe it’s a cooking class, maybe it’s a dancing class. Maybe it’s just calling back up the people from your last job that you haven’t seen in a while, getting together over drinks and making it a regular thing. I get it, people are really busy, and everything online is a draw. But the importance of hanging out with people in person, those loose acquaintances, that’s where so much of the magic happens.
People talk a lot about how it’s just a numbers game:You have to go on more dates, you have to swipe on more people. What’s your response to that?
It is a numbers game, but maybe, let’s think about the numbers like this. Rather than numbers of people, it’s numbers of interactions. So you could meet 12 people one time, or you could meet three people four times. I choose the second one, right? Meet fewer people more times. We’re still talking about numbers. We’re still talking about how much time you’re out there interacting with people, figuring out whether you click. But 20-minute coffee dates really pull for a snap judgment. In a perfect world, swiping right on somebody would mean I’m going to do a coffee date with you, and then we’re going to go to some interactive class, and then we’re going to go to a concert and I’m going to spend time with you in all three settings and kind of see how that goes in total and then assess it. So it’s not that the numbers game is misguided, you do have to get out there and try different things, but we often think, “Oh, I can just sample people really briefly, and eventually I’ll get lucky.” The smaller those samples are, the more painful this whole thing gets.
Coffee dates feel like interviews to me. But from a scientific standpoint, why do you recommend an activity-based date over the classic coffee date?
The best evidence that we have for what can you do to make yourself more appealing to someone is not to share your CV and impress them with those details. Do something that reveals a little bit about who you are, how you interact, how you relate to the world, and, best of all, something a little bit vulnerable about yourself. The 36 Questions test, sometimes called the Fast Friends procedure, is truly the best tool we have. Within an hour or two of something interactive, people have gotten to the point where they’re willing to talk about things that they regret, or things that they really like about the other person that they’ve just gotten to know. And this is all in that Fast Friends procedure. So when I think about people doing activities where their attention isn’t just on interview mode, it’s like, “Oh, we’re tackling something together,” it really decreases that self-promotion instinct, which is usually misguided.
In your book, you call compatibility “curated, cultivated and constructed.” Does that mean, to you, that you can theoretically be compatible with anyone?
If you take this idea to its extreme, if you push me, ultimately I land on probably. And of all the things I say that people are going to be resistant to, I think that’s the one that people are like, “No.” Again, I go back to the people involved in small groups. They made relationships work with the limited number of options that were available, and because we are creatures who engage in motivated reasoning, it is very, very possible to be happy with who you’re with, but that does not mean that people just get to turn off all of the alternatives that exist. I think the best way to think about it is, I think a lot of pairs have compatibility potential, but I also think that the many decisions along the way matter a lot.
If the idea of romantic destiny is, as you call it in your book, “the weakest idea ever promoted by scientists,” what is your number-one dating myth you feel your personal research has debunked?
That men and women want different things out of partnerships, that they’re either pulling for different traits or look like these totally different entities, I just think the evidence for this is completely wrong. We see differences when you ask men and women, “What do you want in a partner?” But when you look at the attributes that actually matter, it’s really amazing the extent to which men and women are similar. And it’s not to say that there are no differences, like there is a difference in the strength of the sex drive thing. It’s smaller than people say, but it is there. But if you think about, what do men and women want out of a close relationship? What they really want is somebody who’s going to be supportive, is going to celebrate my successes and is going to have my back.
How do people practically apply that in their dating lives?
Refocusing on attachment, I hope that reduces some of the heteropessimism out there in the world. We have arrived at this very bleak view of relations between men and women, like we see the world differently, we’re just always at odds. And boy, when you come at relationships with this attachment frame, and you look at the things that make people happy, men and women can absolutely build beautiful things working together, and they often do. Because we are creatures who attach, there is so much potential for genuine connection over a sustained period of time.
Do you have any predictions for what the future of dating might look like?
It certainly feels like people are getting tired of the apps and that they’re looking for more ways to socialize in person. I think that’s wonderful. I worry about what AI is going to do, like, is that going to feel so real that it causes our interactional muscles to atrophy? That’s the big question mark on the horizon. I’m not here to be grandpa, but I also hope that we don’t totally lose the ability to interact with real people.
His new book “Bonded by Evolution: The New Science of Love and Connection” argues against evolutionary psychology’s philosophy of dating and relationships debunking ideas like money matters most to women, looks matter most to men and everyone has an inherent objective “mate value.” (Crown/TNS)
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