Axios AM

March 08, 2026
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- Smart Brevity™ count: 1,253 words ... 4½ mins. Thanks to Andrew Pantazi for editing.
1 big thing: U.S. may use special forces to seize Iran's nukes

This behind-the-scenes reporting by Axios' Barak Ravid and Marc Caputo will help you understand the rising (often ill-informed) talk of "boots on the ground" in Iran:
The U.S. and Israel have discussed sending special forces into Iran to secure its stockpile of highly enriched uranium at a later stage of the war, according to four sources with knowledge of the discussions.
- Why it matters: "Boots on the ground for Trump is not the same as what it means for the media," a senior U.S. official said. The administration is talking about small special ops raids — not a big force going in.
🏛️ At a congressional briefing on Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked whether Iran's enriched uranium would be secured. "People are going to have to go and get it," he said, without specifying who.
- Any operation to seize the material would likely require U.S. or Israeli troops on Iranian soil, navigating heavily fortified underground facilities in the middle of a war.
👀 What we're watching: An Israeli defense official said Trump and his team are seriously considering sending special operations units into Iran for specific missions.
- A U.S. official said the administration has discussed two options: removing the material from Iran entirely or bringing in nuclear experts to dilute it on-site.
- The mission would likely involve special operators alongside scientists, possibly from the International Atomic Energy Agency.
🛢️ Beyond the uranium, U.S. officials tell Axios the administration has discussed seizing Kharg Island, a strategic terminal responsible for roughly 90% of Iran's crude oil exports.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Axios that Trump "wisely keeps all options available to him open, and does not rule things out."
2. 🇺🇸 Honoring ultimate sacrifice

President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Second Lady Usha Vance stand at attention at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware as part of the dignified transfer ceremony for the six U.S. Army Reserve soldiers killed in the war with Iran.
- "It's a very sad day," Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he returned to Miami. He said the soldiers' relatives are "great people, great parents, wives, family," and said the "parents were so proud."
The dignified transfer, a ritual that returns the remains of U.S. service members killed in action, is considered one of the most somber duties of any commander in chief, AP notes.
- Those killed in action were Maj. Jeffrey O'Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa; Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Fla.; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, Calif.; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minn.; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Neb.; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, who was posthumously promoted from specialist.

Air Force door attendants secure the doors of the transfer vans containing the remains.
3. 🤖 Most & least endangered jobs

Computer programmer, customer service rep, data-entry keyer and medical record specialist rank among the most AI-vulnerable occupations, Axios' Courtenay Brown writes from a new Anthropic study of "AI displacement risk."
- Among the jobs least susceptible to AI disruption, given how human-intensive they are: cooks, lifeguards, dishwashers.
4. 🏛️ 1,886 days later ...

A controversial plaque honoring law enforcement members who responded to the Jan. 6 siege was mounted on the Senate side of the Capitol at 4 a.m. yesterday.
- With no announcement, the staff of the Architect of the Capitol "bolted the bronze plaque to a granite wall near an entrance on the West Front, close to where the armed crowd had amassed and scaled scaffolding set up for the inauguration," The Washington Post reports (gift link).
5. 🩺 Be smart about Dr. AI
Axios senior policy reporter Caitlin Owens has these takeaways from conversations about consulting AI for medical advice:
- Chatbots can be good at explaining lab results or coming up with a list of questions to ask your doctor ahead of a visit.
- Output is super-dependent on input. Duke assistant professor Monica Agrawal said patients can share "incomplete context or … a subjective impression, or they have a misconception … LLMs have an ability, more so than a doctor, to reinforce those misconceptions."
- The phrasing of the response can be problematic. "I worry some of these LLMs speak with a level of confidence that is really unjustified," said Ashish Jha, President Biden's former White House COVID response coordinator and a former Brown University public health dean.
- Most of us don't have the expertise to spot mistakes.
6. 🗓️ Don't save the date, sir

The Obama Foundation announced that the lakefront Obama Presidential Center will open on Chicago's South Side on June 18 "as a global hub for hope and change," with celebrations through June 21.
- Valerie Jarrett — the foundation's CEO, and former White House senior adviser — said on MS NOW that President Trump won't be invited to the grand opening. "After we open to the public," she added, "should President Trump want to come and tour the center, President Obama would be delighted for him to do so."
"Hope is getting a permanent home," former President Obama said in an announcement video, noting that there'll be a new branch of the Chicago Public Library and, yes, a basketball court.
- "This is a place where a child … can sit behind the [replica] Resolute Desk and imagine how they could help create a better world."
- Jarrett said the campus includes a museum, an auditorium, an athletic center, retail stores and restaurants, and a great lawn for picnics.
The dedication ceremony will be June 18 on John Lewis Plaza, with a livestream featuring "performances by global icons and powerful remarks from today's most prominent voices."
- The campus and museum will open to the public June 19 (Juneteenth!), with community celebrations throughout campus June 20–21.
7. 🧨 Card for White House fight night

The Octagon® on the White House South Lawn: UFC unveiled the fight card for Freedom 250 (building to America's 250th birthday) on Sunday, June 14, which is both Flag Day and President Trump's 80th birthday.
- The Ultimate Fighting Championship event will stream live on Paramount+, billed as "one of the most talked-about nights in combat sports." The matchups were announced last night during UFC 326.
"A lightweight title fight between undisputed champion Ilia Topuria and interim title holder Justin Gaethje will serve as the main event, and two-weight UFC champion Alex Pereira will seek an unprecedented third belt against Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight championship in the co-main event," ESPN reports.
The deets: UFC CEO Dana White has said there'll be about 5,000 spectators at the White House, "with space for another 80,000 fans at the Ellipse … White has said tickets for the South Lawn seats will not be available for purchase and will instead be comped to members of the military. The ceremonial weigh-ins are expected to take place at the Lincoln Memorial." —ESPN
8. 🌭 1 food thing: $100 frank

At the Miami Open tennis tournament later this month, patrons can order the $100 Golden Glizzy, an Australian Wagyu hot dog topped with an entire tin of Golden Goat Caviar and a sprinkling of gold flakes, Axios Miami's Sommer Brugal writes.
- Instead of a bun, the hot dog is wrapped in a crunchy, shell-like croissant. Instead of ketchup or mustard, bites are met with the creaminess of crème fraîche and mascarpone and topped with chives.
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