The first primaries of the 2026 midterm elections are in the books, and while Republican Senate contenders are headed to a runoff in Texas, Democrats have picked their fighter.
Plus, what AP's media writer thinks you should know about President Donald Trump's Iran war messaging, Washington Bureau Chief Anna Johnson's weekly picks and a look at misrepresented images about the situation in Iran. |
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Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, speaks to the media Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Jack Myer) |
Election 2026: Takeaways from first votes of the campaign — By Steven Sloan
The 2026 campaign kicked off Tuesday with high-profile primary elections in Texas, where Republican Sen. John Cornyn is heading toward a runoff vote against state attorney general Ken Paxton, a sign of vulnerability that the incumbent couldn’t win the race outright as he seeks a fifth term. Meanwhile, Democrats — siding with someone who pledged to change Washington while finding consensus — chose state Rep. James Talarico over U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett to be their candidate.
For all the focus on Texas, elections in North Carolina could have a bigger impact on which party ultimately wins the Senate majority in the fall. Get ready for what could be a messy race to November — one where spending could hit $1 billion.
Read more of Sloan's takeaways from 2026's first midterm primaries. |
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From the bureau: Q&A with David Bauder |
President Donald Trump arrives for a Medal of Honor ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) |
Bauder, who writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP, has these observations about Trump's messaging on Iran:
Typical for an unconventional presidency, the Trump administration has drawn criticism for how it has communicated about the war in Iran during its early stages. That's important because having a clear message to convey about why the United States is risking lives to bomb a nation on the other side of the world is crucial to gathering public support for the mission. It's typical for presidents to address the nation, often in a speech from the Oval Office, when there is such military action.
President Donald Trump hasn't done so. |
Here's what Bauder thinks you should know |
- In the first two days of the war he sent out two pre-recorded statements on the Truth Social platform, and conducted brief telephone interviews with several reporters.
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It wasn't until the third day that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth briefed the nation about military moves.
- The approach has left some critics confused about how long this war is likely to last, and what the country's true objectives are.
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President Donald Trump arrives for a Medal of Honor ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) |
Trump pushes back on mounting criticism about his Iran war battle plan as conflict spreads — By Aamer Madhani
— This story about the mounting criticism Trump is facing about his Iran war plan by Aamer Madhani is a strong analytical piece coupled with detailed reporting and fact checking context about some of the claims.
From doubts about nuke talks to an Air Force One flight, what led up to Trump’s order to strike Iran — By Meg Kinnard and David Klepper
— On Friday afternoon, Trump said he was not pleased with how Iran talks were going. Hours later he gave the order to launch the military operation. This is a must read by David Klepper and Ground Game's Meg Kinnard. In Their Words: How Trump’s and his administration’s statements on Iran evolved and conflicted — By Michelle L. Price, Ben Finley and Will Weissert
— Michelle L. Price, Ben Finley and Will Weissert looked back at statements made by Trump and administration officials over the past several months about Iran to show the evolution. This "In Their Words" style of story works well when you are looking back at what officials have said over time. |
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FACT FOCUS: Misrepresented images as Iran war progresses |
People take shelter in an underground parking lot as air raid sirens warning of incoming Iranian missile strikes in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, March 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) |
As the Iran war continues, misrepresented images related to the war continue to spread widely online. They presented years-old footage as current, falsely claimed that U.S. military vehicles had been destroyed and erroneously claimed to show casualties of the war. Claim: A video shows a nuclear power plant in Israel struck by Iranian ballistic missiles. Analysis: This is false. It shows a 2017 fire at a Ukrainian munitions depot in the country’s Kharkiv region near the Russian border.
Fact: In the video, a large plume of smoke billows in the distance before an explosion sends flames shooting into the air. It was posted to YouTube on March 23, 2017, with a caption in Russian that describes the fire. The explosions in the clip spreading online match the ones in the 2017 video. Identifiable landmarks, such as a large tower, can be seen in both. — By Melissa Goldin Read more on misrepresented, war-related images spreading online. |
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, poses for a selfie with a supporter during a primary election night watch party Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) |
Here's how Texas-based photo journalist Julio Cortez captured this photo at Paxton's primary night watch party: "After the attorney general spoke to supporters, he stepped off stage to greet them in front of it. His PR staff brought me into the penned area and allowed me to go on stage to get a better view. This was shot with a 12mm lens, which allows to show a wide look at the environment."
Explore more of what goes into Cortez's iconic photography here. |
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