Good morning. It's Monday, March 9, and we're covering Iran's next supreme leader, the start of Alaska's annual sled dog race, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4.7 million insatiably curious readers. Sign up here.
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Iran’s 88-member Assembly of Experts selected Mojtaba Khamenei as the country's next supreme leader, succeeding his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli strike last month. Israel and the US have indicated they would not accept Khamenei as leader.
The update comes after Israeli strikes hit Iranian oil depots near Tehran, sending clouds of black smoke over the city (see video). The attacks marked the first on Iran’s energy infrastructure in the 10-day war and come as average gas prices in the US are up 14% to $3.41 per gallon as of this writing, with prices varying by state.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has meanwhile sought to deescalate conflict with the country’s Gulf neighbors, though strikes have continued in several countries. The Pentagon has separately confirmed a seventh US service member was killed, one week after being wounded by an Iranian airstrike in Saudi Arabia.
See conflict map here. |
The 54th Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race kicked off yesterday, with hundreds of dogs amassing at the ceremonial start in downtown Anchorage, Alaska, before moving north to the official starting line. Thirty-four mushers will compete, with the race expected to end in mid-March.
The race dates back to 1973, with cofounders Dorothy Page and Joe Redington Sr. seeking to honor the state’s mushing tradition. The race also honors Alaska’s Iditarod Trail—a 938-mile freight and mail route forged in 1908 that was later instrumental in responding to a diphtheria outbreak (see more, w/video). Though the first race (1,000 miles) lasted 20 days, dogs today have become faster, reaching the finish line in Nome in roughly 10 days. There are 12-16 dogs per sled to start, as some dogs exit due to injury; mushers must finish with at least five.
Norwegian billionaire Kjell Rokke will join the fray in this year’s race in an honorary expedition capacity. He is contributing to the race’s purse, lifting the yield from $57K to $80K. |
At least four people were killed and 12 others wounded after powerful tornadoes touched down in southwest Michigan Friday, the deadliest such storm in the state since 1980. Two others were killed in Oklahoma as severe weather swept across the Plains and Midwest.
The intensity of the storms caught forecasters by surprise. Michigan averages about 15 tornadoes per year; fewer than one occurs in March, and those tend to be relatively weak. An initial assessment placed the strongest of the Michigan tornadoes at EF3 (see tornado science 101), with peak winds of at least 150 mph. Watch footage of the twister tear across a lakeside neighborhood here (warning—sensitive content).
While Michigan sits outside “Tornado Alley”—the central and southeastern US states most prone to twisters—recent data suggests tornado activity has shifted eastward over the past few decades. |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> George Russell wins 2026 Australian Grand Prix for Mercedes in Formula 1 season opener, followed by teammate Kimi Antonelli (More) | NFL free agency negotiating window begins today at 12 pm ET (More) | |
> Country Joe McDonald, lead singer and cofounder of the 1960s counterculture band Country Joe and the Fish, dies at age 84 (More) |
> "Hoppers" earns $88M globally in opening weekend, best showing for an original animated film and Pixar since "Coco" in 2017 (More) |
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> OpenAI's head of robotics, Caitlin Kalinowski, resigns, citing the company's recent deal with the Pentagon (More) | FDA vaccine chief, Vinay Prasad, to leave agency for second time since July (More) |
> Engineers create first modular robot with "athletic" intelligence; AI-designed configurations let the machines adapt to a variety of environments (More, w/video) |
> 3D-printed "superfoam" absorbs up to 10 times as much energy as conventional padding; may have use in automotive and defense applications (More) |
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> US stock markets continue decline Friday (S&P 500 -1.3%, Dow -1.0%, Nasdaq -1.6%) on weak February job numbers, concern over fallout from Iran war (More) |
> Media conglomerate Axel Springer to acquire Telegraph Media Group for nearly $770M (More) |
> Investment platform Robinhood debuts publicly listed fund allowing retail investors to buy into a portfolio of privately held startups; shares fall 16% on first day of trading (More) |
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> Two reported Islamic State members arrested for throwing explosive device outside New York City's Gracie Mansion amid anti-Islam rally; NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) was not wounded (More) |
> Norwegian police investigate whether an explosion at the US Embassy in Oslo is linked to terrorism; no one was wounded or killed (More) |
> Nepali rapper-turned-mayor is expected to become prime minister, with party on track to win a majority in last week's elections (More) | See previous write-up (More) |
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Historybook: Italian soccer club Inter Milan founded (1908); Barbie doll debuts at American Toy Fair (1959); Comedian George Burns dies (1996); Space Shuttle Discovery makes final of 39 landings (2011); US Olympic gold-winning gymnast Sunisa Lee born (2003)
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