(The Independent) Before the Iran war, the Trump administration reportedly gutted a series of initiatives aimed at reducing civilian casualties, according to insiders. The move is under new scrutiny now that the U.S. is accused of launching a February 28 missile strike that hit a girls' primary school near a military base and killed scores of people. The attack in the city of Minab left more than 165 people dead, most of them children under 12, according to Iranian officials. “We’re departing from the rules and norms that we’ve tried to establish as a global community since at least World War II,” Air Force veteran Wes J. Bryant, a member of the Pentagon’s Biden-era Civilian Protection Center of Excellence who was forced out in job cuts last spring, told ProPublica. “There’s zero accountability.”

(Reuters) U.S. intelligence indicates that Iran’s leadership is still largely intact and is not at risk of collapse any time soon after nearly two weeks of relentless U.S. and Israeli bombardment, according to three sources familiar with the matter. A “multitude” of intelligence reports provide “consistent analysis that the regime is not in danger” of collapse and “retains control of the Iranian public,” said one of the sources, all of whom were granted anonymity to discuss U.S. intelligence findings. The latest report was completed within the last few days, the source said.

(Mediaite) A group of U.S. senators called for the Government Accountability Office to investigate the Trump Justice Department over its release of the Jeffrey Epstein files and the redactions within the documents, which have sparked outrage and accusations of a cover-up. Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) signed the letter alleging that the DOJ did not fully comply with the law compelling the files’ release last December. President Donald Trump signed the law under pressure from both chambers of Congress after it passed with near-unanimous support.

(CNBC) The U.S. Navy is not ready to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNBC in an interview Thursday. “It’ll happen relatively soon but it can’t happen now,” Wright said. “We’re simply not ready. All of our military assets right now are focused on destroying Iran’s offensive capabilities and the manufacturing industry that supplies their offensive capabilities.” Wright said it is likely that the Navy will be in a position to escort tankers by the end of this month. “I’ll be over at the Pentagon later today — that is what the military is working on,” the Energy secretary said.

(AP) Democratic-led states alarmed by the prospect of federal immigration officers patrolling the polls during this year’s midterm elections are taking steps to counter what they see as a potential tactic to intimidate voters. New Mexico this week became the first state to bar armed agents from polling locations in response to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, a step being considered in at least a half dozen other Democratic-led states.

(Washington Post) The Defense Department has barred press photographers from briefings on the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military conflict with Iran after they published photos of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that his staff deemed “unflattering,” according to two people familiar with the decision who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation. The March 2 briefing came days after a joint military strike on Iran that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Feb. 28. It was also the first time the defense secretary had appeared from the briefing room podium since June 26.

(USA Today) Federal authorities have warned California law enforcement agencies that the state could be a potential target of a drone attack tied to the escalating war between Iran, the United States and Israel — though officials stress there is no confirmed or imminent threat. The warning, first reported by ABC News, comes from a federal intelligence memo circulated to Joint Terrorism Task Force partners across the state in late February. It followed U.S. and Israeli strikes inside Iran earlier this year and retaliatory attacks by Tehran in the Middle East.

(Deadline) Just weeks after joining the U.S Men’s Olympic hockey team in the locker room to celebrate their Gold Medal victory in Italy, FBI director Kash Patel is celebrating what he sees as another athletic milestone. “I’m thrilled to announce this historic seminar between the FBI and the UFC at Quantico,” said Patel in a statement released today by the UFC. “This is a tremendous opportunity for our FBI agents to learn and train with some of the greatest athletes on earth — helping the world’s premier law enforcement agency be even better prepared to protect the American people.”

(The Hill) Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) on Wednesday unveiled legislation to remove Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the use of mifepristone to end pregnancies, a bill that has quickly gained the support of major anti-abortion groups. The legislation is an ambitious undertaking given the drug’s widespread use in the United States, where an estimated 7.5 million women have used it to terminate pregnancies since the FDA approved its use in 2000. It accounted for 63 percent of all abortions in the U.S. in 2023.

(Sky News) The number of billionaires has surged to a record-breaking 3,428, with Elon Musk retaining the title of the world's richest person, according to Forbes. The magazine's latest rankings, dominated by the tech sector, placed the Tesla and SpaceX boss in the top spot with a net worth of $839bn (£623bn), followed by Google co-founders Larry Page on $257bn and Sergey Brin with $237bn. Donald Trump also saw his wealth increase by 27% to $6.5bn off the back of his crypto dealings, and after his New York fraud penalty was thrown out, making the US president the world's 645th richest person.