The Latest: 03/02/2026 01:59pm ET

0:00This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human You know what I can really go for right now? Literally anything that comes in a McDonald's carton, wrapper, or bag, or a McDonald's cup. Yes, any of those items you do it. We've got your cravings covered. Now, stop in for the flaky filet of fish. The crispy snack wrap or a large fries for just $2.99. Limited time only, price and participation may vary. Cannot be combined with any other offer. This is your 24-7 News Update, the latest views this hour in just four minutes. President Trump says Operation Epic Fury against Iran is proceeding ahead of schedule. Speaking today at the White House, he said the operation is projected to go four to five weeks, but added we have the capability to go far longer than that. The President said Iran ignored warnings from the U.S. about going forward with its nuclear program

1:00and the current operation is meant to destroy Iran's ballistic missile capabilities and to make sure they can never obtain a nuclear weapon. The Israel Defense Forces say defensive systems are operating to intercept additional missiles being launched from Iran. Now the public is being told to enter a protected space and remain there until further notice. The public is also asking people to act responsibly and follow instructions. California Governor Gavin Newsom is ripping into President Trump over the strikes in Iran. This historic president who's historically unpopular is trying to distract from his failures across the spectrum. Speaking in San Francisco and an event to promote his new memoir, the governor criticized the president claiming Trump is not clearly defining what the end game is or the crisis at hand. He called Trump the chaos president and a wrecking ball. President Trump says the three U.S. Army soldiers getting the Medal of Honor today are brave and amazing people and a white has ceremony. Trump honored World War II veteran master Sergeant Roderick Edmonds, Afghanistan veteran staff sergeant Michael Hollis and Vietnam veteran staff sergeant Terry Richardson. It's a great honor.

2:00There's no greater. I tried for myself. I've tried numerous times to get one by myself. I keep getting shut down. They say you can't do it, sir. Bad protocol. Very bad. I would say the worst. But I'm only kidding. Trump said he was strongly considering awarding a posthumous honored Edmonds as far back as 2020. He's credited for saving 200 Jewish Americans being sought by the Nazis when he was a prisoner of war in Germany in 1945. Closing arguments are underway in the trial of the father of the suspect in the Appalachia High School shooting in Georgia. Colin Gray is facing 180 years in prison. If convicted, he's admitted to buying his son, Colt Gray, the gun used in the September 2024 shooting. I'm Chris Caragio. You will soon be spending more at the gas pump. Rob Martyr tells us why. Nationwide, the average price of a gallon is currently $2.98. And the experts say it will go up a couple of cents as early as this week. It's not just because of uncertainty in the Middle East. Supply will also be low because refineries in the United States are in the process of switching to a more expensive summer blend fuel.

3:03Experts also warn that prices could spike if there are disruptions in shipping from the Persian Gulf. If that happens, petroleum forecasters say we could see a 10 to 25 cent increase in a matter of days. A large study in the US has found that eating red meat in large amounts may be linked to a high risk of developing diabetes. Mark Mayfield has more. The study also found that substituting red meat with plant-based proteins or other healthier protein sources could reduce the risk by as much as 14 percent. The results were published in the British Journal of Nutrition. The study's data comes from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Researchers found that individuals with the highest meat intake had a nearly 50 percent greater risk of developing diabetes. Open AI has reached an agreement with the Pentagon on the use of its AI models. CEO Sam Altman said late Friday that a deal was reached after the Defense Department agreed to its safety red lines. The announcement comes after President Trump ordered all government agencies to stop using Anthropics AI systems. Anthropic was against the Pentagon using AI systems to spy in Americans or to carry out military operations autonomously.

4:06Altman said Friday that open AI also prohibits domestic mass surveillance and calls for human responsibility for the use of force. The NYPD is looking for a burglary suspect, Jason Williams, but the 32-year-old may be more like a kissing bandit. Police say Williams forced his way into a home of a woman in Kabul Hill Thursday grabbed her and took her out to the sidewalk. Then, every time a car or pedestrian came by, Williams kissed her. Police think maybe someone was after Williams and the woman was a shield to deceive them. He didn't hurt her or take anything from the victim. First garage you.