NPR News: 03-02-2026 9AM EST

0:00Greenland has said it is not for sale. Denmark has said it can't even legally sell Greenland and whether Trump can or will or should try to control or purchase a territory that does not want to be sold is one question. But on Planet Money, we are more interested in how we even got to this moment and how we might gracefully get out of it. Listen to Planet Money on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, nine core of a Coleman, defense secretary Pete Hegseth has laid out an apparent rationale for the US attack on Iran over the weekend. The mission of Operation Epic Fury is laser focused. Destroy Iranian offensive missiles, destroy Iranian missile production, destroy their navy and other security infrastructure and they will never have nuclear weapons. However, President Trump has not made his public case to Americans about why the US is going to warn Iran. This comes as the Pentagon announced today the death of a fourth US service person in the conflict. The Defense Department also says three US warplanes were shot down

1:03in Kuwait yesterday in a friendly fire incident. All crew members ejected safely. This incident is being investigated. President Trump has said he is open to talking with Iranian leaders, the NPR's Ruth Sherlock reports, a top Iranian official now says his country will not negotiate with the United States. As American and Israeli strikes continue on Iran, the country's top security official Ali Ladijani has one message for the White House. We will not negotiate with the United States. In a post on X, Ladijani said President Trump has, quote, betrayed an America first strategy for Israel first. He said the president is sacrificing, quote, American treasure and blood to advance the interests of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to target Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said on X that a deal had been within reach between Iran and the United States at recent negotiations. But he wrote, Trump has ordered the quote, bombing

2:06of the negotiating table, Ruth Sherlock and Pion used Istanbul. Benchmark crude oil prices are up nearly 8% this morning as the US and Israel continue to attack Iran. The status of liquefied natural gas shipments is also uncertain. That's because a major supplier in Qatar says it will suspend operations. And Piers Julia Simon reports on what the attacks mean for energy and shipping. Normally, about 20% of global oil and oil products go through the strait of Hormuz, the key shipping route in and out of the Persian Gulf. Now, barely any ships are passing through, and it's not just oil. About 20% of global liquefied natural gas or LNG goes through the strait. Qatar is a huge LNG producer. If Iran attacks Qatar's LNG terminals, that would also impact global supplies. Natural gas prices rose in early trading today. Continued high prices, energy experts say would be bad for electricity bills in the US. The US energy

3:08makes relies a lot on natural gas plants. However, experts say high natural gas prices are great for US energy companies that export liquefied natural gas. Julia Simon, NPR News. And you're listening to NPR News from Washington. The United States takes over the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council today for the month of March. It will begin with First Lady Melania Trump taking the gavel at a session this afternoon. As NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports, the focus will be on peace through education. The White House says this will be the first time a sitting First Lady presides over the Security Council, as members consider education, technology, peace, and security. UN spokesman Stefan Dajary confirms that this will be a first. It's a sign of the importance that the United States feels towards the Security Council and the subject at hand. President Trump has often said he doesn't believe the UN is living up to its potential. His

4:12administration holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council for March. And that means it can choose some of the meeting topics. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, Washington. There are primary elections tomorrow in Arkansas, North Carolina, and Texas. Political observers are watching Texas closely. On the Democratic side, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in state representative James Talleriko are among the U.S. Senate candidates. On the Republican side, incumbent Senator John Cornyn is facing Attorney General Ken Paxton and Congressman Wesley Hunt. It is unclear if either of these races may go to a runoff election. Scientists say there will be a lunar eclipse overnight. It will be best visible around 6 a.m. Eastern time tomorrow morning and 3 a.m. Pacific time. I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News.