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LONDON (AP) — An American anti-drone system proven to work againstRussian drones in Ukrainewill soon be sent to the Middle East to bolster U.S. defenses against Iranian drones, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Friday.

While the U.S. has used Patriot and THAAD missile systems totake down Iranian missilessuccessfully, there are limited effective anti-drone defenses now in the Middle East, according to a U.S. defense official, one of two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.

The U.S. response to countering Iran's Shahed drones has been "disappointing," the other U.S. official said, particularly because the drones fired by Iran are a much more basic version of the same drone that Russia is continuously refining and updating in its war in Ukraine.

The effort to bolster U.S. anti-drone capabilities in the Middle East underscores concerns about the planning for anIranian retaliatory responseacross the region to the American and Israeli strikes. Persian Gulf countries have complained they werenot given adequate timeto prepare for the torrent of Iranian drones and missiles bombarding their territory.

Thesystem that is being sent, known as Merops, flies drones against drones. It is small enough to fit in the back of a midsize pickup truck, can identify drones and close in on them, usingartificial intelligenceto navigate when satellite and electronic communications are jammed.

Drones are hard to pinpoint on radar systems calibrated for spotting high-speed missiles and can be mistaken for birds or planes. The Merops system is designed to spot them and take them down. Crucially, the system also is cheaper than firing a missile that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars at a drone that costs less than $50,000.

The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, said this week that "we're pretty good at taking missiles down. What is much more problematic for us is the huge inventory of Iranian drones, which are hard to detect and hard to take down."

Himes said the drone attacks present a "math problem" in that the U.S. cannot keep relying on expensive military interceptors, like Patriot systems, to down the quickly and cheaply made Iranian drones.

"It's really, really expensive to take down a cheap drone," he said. "A giant missile going after a tiny little crappy drone."

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Merops was deployed in NATO nationsPoland and Romania in NovemberafterRussian attack dronesrepeatedly entered NATO airspace. The U.S. defense official says America has learned lessons from the deployment of the system and others like it in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that the U.S. asked forhis country's helpin combating Iran's Shahed drones, which Russia has used in huge numbers in Ukraine. Zelenskyy did not specify the type of assistance Ukraine would provide, but the U.S. defense official said the Merops system is a part of it.

When asked about Zelenskyy's comments, Trump told Reuters on Thursday: "Certainly, I'll take, you know, any assistance from any country."

In the Middle East, Merops will be deployed to various locations, including where U.S. forces are not present, the defense official said. Most of the systems will be sent directly by Perennial Autonomy — the manufacturer backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt — and will not affect defenses in Europe, the official said.

Perennial Autonomy did not immediately respond to questions about the use of Merops in the Middle East.

Pentagon officials conceded this week in closed-door briefings with lawmakers they are struggling to stop waves of drones launched by Iran, leaving some U.S. targets in the Gulf region vulnerable.

"This does not mean we can stop everything, but we ensured that the maximum possible defense and maximum possible force protection was set up before we went on offense," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters this week.

Michael Robbins, president and CEO of AUVSI, a drone industry group, said lessons from the Middle East and Ukraine show that the U.S. must accelerate deployment of sophisticated counter-drone technologies, so "our forces can defend bases and populations without spending a million dollars to stop a $50,000 threat."

Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Didi Tang, David Klepper, Michelle L. Price, Ben Finley and Seung Min Kim contributed to this report from Washington.

CHICAGO (AP) — From former presidents to an NBA Hall of Famer to prominent pastors, stories ofthe Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.'sinfluence on politics, corporate boardrooms and picket lines loomed large Friday at a celebration honoring the late civil rights leader.

APTOPIX Jesse Jackson Memorial

The public tribute — with appearances by Grammy-winning gospel singers and Jennifer Hudson — felt at times like a church service and others like a political rally. Many, from former President Bill Clinton to the Rev. Al Sharpton, a civil rights leader and founder of the National Action Network, likened Jackson's death to a call to action, from speaking out against justice to voting in the midterms.

Former President Barack Obama said Jackson's presidential runs in the 1980s set the stage for other Black leaders, including his own successful 2009 presidency and reelection.

"The message he sent to a 22-year-old child of a single mother with a funny name, an outsider, was that maybe there wasn't any place or any room where we didn't belong," Obama said to the boisterous crowd of thousands. "He paved the road for so many others to follow."

The event drew a slew of elected U.S. leaders. Other notable attendees included actor and producer Tyler Perry, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, and political activist and theologian Cornel West. Detroit Pistons great and Chicago native Isiah Thomas also spoke at the event that lasted five hours.

The crowd gave an especially warm welcome to Obama, who launched his political career in Chicago, and credited Jackson with keeping him on his toes. He said he was grateful to Jackson for providing a "legacy of hope" in contrast with the current Republican leadership in Washington.

"We are living in a time when it can be hard to hope," Obama said. "Each day we wake up to some new assault to our democratic institutions. Another setback to the idea of the rule of law, an offense to common decency. Every day you wake up to things you just didn't think were possible."

Clinton said Jackson made him a better president, while former Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris talked about Jackson's inspiring 1980s presidential runs and showed off campaign memorabilia she had kept from them. Former President Joe Biden also spoke during the service.

President Donald Trump, who praised Jackson on social media after he died and also shared photos of the two of them, did not attend.

Thousands attend Jackson memorial service

The event honoring the protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and two-time presidential candidate followed memorial servicesthat drew large crowds in ChicagoandSouth Carolina,where Jackson was born. Friday's celebration — at an influential Black church with a 10,000-seat arena — was the largest.

Attendees waited in long lines outside the church as television screens played excerpts of some of Jackson's most famous speeches. Inside, vendors sold pins with his 1984 presidential slogan and hoodies with his "I Am Somebody" mantra.

Marketing professional Chelsia Bryan said Friday that she decided to attend for the "chance to be part of something historic."

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"As a Black woman, knowing that someone pretty much gave their life, dedicated their life to make sure I can do the things that I can do now, he's worth honoring," Bryan said.

Jackson Jr.: Everyone has a Jackson story

Jackson died last month at age 84 after battling a rare neurological disorder that affected his mobility and ability to speak. His final public appearances included the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

"Every single person in here has a Jesse Jackson story," his eldest son,Jesse Jackson Jr.,said to the crowd. "The time he shook your hand, the time he prayed for you, the time he held you up, the time he prayed the funeral for somebody you know ... and he prayed you to a new course of existence."

Sitting in the crowd was 90-year-old Mary Lovett. She said Jackson's advocacy inspired her many times, from when she moved from Mississippi to Chicago in the 1960s, taught elementary school and became a mom. She voted for Jackson during his presidential runs and appreciated how he always spoke up for underrepresented people.

"He's gone, but I hope his legacy lives," she said. "I hope we can remember what he tried to teach us."

Jackson's service was to the poor, underrepresented

Jackson's pursuits were countless, taking him to all corners of the globe: Advocating for the poor and underrepresented on issues including voting rights, health care, job opportunities and education. He scored diplomatic victories with world leaders, and through Rainbow PUSH Coalition, he channeled cries for Black pride and self-determination into corporate boardrooms, pressuring executives to make America a more open and equitable society.

Sharpton, who considered the late reverend a lifelong mentor, said he hoped attendees would take home some of the "Jackson fire."

"Don't sit here so holy and sanctified and act like you have no assignment yourself," he said to the increasingly boisterous crowd. "We didn't come this far to turn around now."

Another son, Yusef Jackson, who runs the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, recalled how his father carried a well-worn Bible but also showed his faith by showing up to picket lines.

"He lived a revolutionary Christian faith rooted in justice, nonviolence and the moral righteousness," he said. "He was deeply involved in the political struggles of his time, but his gift was that he could rise above them. It's not about the left wing or the right wing. It takes two wings to fly. For him, the goal was always the moral center."

A final homegoing service was scheduled for Saturday at Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

Services in Washington, D.C., were tabled after a request to allow Jackson to lie in honor in the United States Capitol rotundawas denied byHouse Speaker Mike Johnson, who said the space is typically reserved for select officials, including former presidents.

A "large and extremely dangerous tornado" touched down multiple times in Three Rivers, Michigan, on March 6, causing significant damage, according to preliminary reports from the National Weather Service office in Northern Indiana.

The tornado popped up in a severe thunderstorm moving through the area. Storm chasers and emergency management staff in St. Joseph County reported to the weather service the tornado touched down multiple times before causing damage on the southwest side of Three Rivers just before 4 p.m. local time.

Local officials also reported to the weather service that a person had been trapped in debris and needed extrication between Niles and Edwardsburg in neighboring Cass County, Michigan. A tornado warning had been issued for portions of Cass and St. Joseph counties around 3:14 p.m. local time, and then continued at 3:52 p.m.

The storm that spawned the tornado was still showing organization and potential strengthening as it moved into Central Michigan, within the boundaries of the weather service region in Grand Rapids, the weather service reported. The weather service has warned additional severe storms may be possible through the evening of March 6 in the region.

Social media videos posted from in St. Joseph and Cass counties showed a section of roof being lifted off a Menards store in Three Rivers and debris being hurled around in the air.

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At 5 p.m., the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Officeshared a Facebook post asking"everyone to please stay away from the north end" of the county until further notice. "Emergency personnel are currently responding to an active situation in that area, and it is critical that our firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMS, and other emergency workers have clear access," the office stated.

The Three Rivers tornado is among several that have struck the United States since March 5.

In Oklahoma,a woman and her daughter diedwhen their van was caught by a tornado March 5. Weather service meteorologists were still surveying the damage from those storms on the afternoon of March 6.

Tornado warnings

Storm risk forecast for the afternoon of March 6

Tornado warning issued in Three Rivers

This warning was issued just after 3 p.m. on March 6. An update, at 3:52 p.m., warned of a "particularly dangerous situation" as a large and extremely dangerous tornado moved northeast over Three Rivers at 40 mph.

Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, writes about violent weather, climate change and other news. Reach her at dpulver@usatoday.com or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Tornado hits southern Michigan as severe weather moves through

Russia is providing Iran with intelligence about the locations and movements of American troops, ships and aircraft, according to multiple people familiar with US intelligence reporting on the issue, the first indication that Moscow has sought to get involved inthe war.

Much of the intelligence Russia has shared with Iran has been imagery from Moscow's sophisticated constellation of overhead satellites, one of the people said. It is not clear what Russia is getting in return for the assistance.

CNN has asked the Kremlin and the Russian embassy in Washington for comment.

It is also not clear whether any single Iranian attack can be linked to Russian targeting intelligence, which wasfirst reportedby the Washington Post. But several Iranian drones have hit locations where US troops have been in recent days. An Iranian drone struck a makeshift facility housing US troops in Kuwait on Sunday, killing six US service members, CNN has reported.

One of the sources briefed on the intelligence said, "This shows Russia still likes Iran very much."

The US also has intelligence suggesting that China may be preparing to provide Iran with financial assistance, spare parts and missile components, three people familiar with the matter said, though Beijing has stayed out of the war up until now. China relies heavily on Iranian oil and hasreportedlybeen pressuring Tehran ⁠to allow safe passage for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

"China is more cautious in its support. It wants the war to end because it endangers their energy supply," one of the sources familiar said.

The CIA declined to comment. CNN has asked the Chinese embassy in Washington for comment on the suggestion China may be preparing to assist Iran.

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Asked about the reports of intelligence sharing, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told CBS News' "60 Minutes" that "We're tracking everything."

"The American people can rest assured their commander-in-chief is well aware of who's talking to who," he added in the interview airing Sunday. "And anything that shouldn't be happening, whether it's in public or back-channeled, is being confronted and confronted strongly."

Hegseth told reporters on Wednesday that Russia and China are "not really a factor" in the war with Iran.

Russia and Iran have been cooperating for at least the last three years on missile and drone technology, with Iran providing Russia with Shahed drones and short-range ballistic missiles to target Ukraine and helping to set up a massive drone factory to pump out Iranian-designed drones inside Russia. Iran has in turn sought Russia's help to bolster its nuclear program,CNN has reported.

The US operation against Iran currently involves more than 50,000 troops, more than 200 fighter jets and two aircraft carriers, CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said this week, and administration officials have not said how long the war is expected to last. The US military objective, according to Pentagon officials, is to eliminate Iran's ballistic missile capabilities, which Hegseth said this week Iran was using as a "shield" to develop its nuclear program.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN's Samantha Waldenberg contributed to this report.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — A Pentagon policy limiting journalists' access to the building is depriving Americans of vital information about U.S. military operations while the country isat war, a New York Times attorney argued Friday in urging a judge to block the new rules.

Pentagon Press Access

"It's more important than ever for the public to know as much as they can," Times attorney Theodore Boutrous told U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman during the first hearing for the newspaper's lawsuit against the Defense Department.

Friedman didn't immediately rule on whether to order the Pentagon to reinstate press credentials for reporters whowalked outof the building last October rather than agree to the new rules. But the judge's remarks suggested he was skeptical of key arguments in the government's defense of the policy.

Judge cites need for 'a variety of views'

Friedman, who was nominated to the bench by Democratic President Bill Clinton, suggested it is "more important than ever" for Americans to hear "a variety of views" about the activities of the federal government and its elected leaders.

"A lot of things need to be held tightly and secure, but openness and transparency allows members of the public to know what their government is doing," the judge said.

Justice Department attorney Michael Bruns said the credentialing policy reflects the government's "compelling interest" and its "statutory obligation" to protect national security information.

"This is not a trivial exercise," Bruns argued.

Friedman said he intends to issue "as prompt a decision as I can, because I know it's important for lots of reasons."

The Timessued the Pentagonand Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in December, claiming the credentialing policy violates the journalists' constitutional rights to free speech and due process.

Times spokesperson Charles Stadtlander said the U.S. attacks on Iran — and the resultingdeaths of American troops— "illuminate the public's right to access deep, impartial reporting on the details of the military actions happening as we speak."

"Today was an important opportunity for The New York Times's lawyers to make our case for the clear importance and public service of allowing journalists to report fully on the Pentagon," Stadtlander said in a statement.

The current Pentagon press corps comprises mostly conservative outlets that agreed to the policy. Reporters from outlets that refused to consent to the new rules, including those from The Associated Press, havecontinued reportingon the military from outside the building.

The AP, meanwhile, is awaiting a decision by a three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court of Appeals on itsseparate lawsuitagainst President Donald Trump's administration. The AP contends that Trump's team punished it by reducing its access to presidential events because the outlet hasn't followed the president's lead in renaming the Gulf of Mexico.

The Pentagon calls the policy 'common sense'

The Pentagon has argued that the policy imposes "common sense" rules that protect the military from the disclosure of national security information.

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"The goal of that process is to prevent those who pose a security risk from having broad access to American military headquarters,"government attorneys wrote.

Times attorneys claim the policy is designed to silence unfavorable press coverage of Trump's administration.

"The First Amendment flatly prohibits the government from granting itself the unbridled power to restrict speech because the mere existence of such arbitrary authority can lead to self-censorship,"they wrote.

The Times argues that the Pentagon has applied its own rules inconsistently. The newspaper said Trump allyLaura Loomer, a right-wing personality who agreed to the Pentagon policy, appeared to violate its prohibition on soliciting unauthorized information by promoting her "tip line."

The government didn't object to Loomer's "general tip line" but concluded that a Washington Post tip line does violate its policy because it purportedly "targets" military personnel and department employees.

"It's mystifying," Boutrous said. "It just doesn't make any sense."

The judge asked Bruns, the government attorney, what standards are used to decide if a reporter poses a security risk.

"Don't there have to be some criteria that are applied in a uniform way?" Friedman asked.

Yes, Bruns answered. But he said the government has "far more leeway" to restrict speech in a secure forum like the Pentagon.

"The reason for the policy is the security of the Pentagon," he added.

Yale Law School professor David Schulz, who represents the Pentagon Press Association, said the challenged policy represents a "stark break from the past."

"The press has been in the building since the day it opened," Schulz told the judge. "It has always been there."

AP Media Writer David Bauder in New York contributed to this story.

In southern Utah, a measles outbreak that's been simmering since last summer is showing signs of wider spread. Now, state health officials are pleading with residents totake the virus seriously.

"It is not a mild infection. It is not a mild virus. It is severe illness," Utah's state epidemiologist, Dr. Leisha Nolen, said at a news briefing Thursday.

She's hearing from people sick with the virus, as well as their caregivers, that "measles is so much worse than what they expected."

"A number of them clearly said if they had known, they would have vaccinated themselves and their children against measles, but they didn't realize how bad it was," Nolen said.

As of Friday,Utah had 358 casesin the outbreak, which began last June. It wasn't until August, however, that the outbreak took off. Most cases have been concentrated in the southwestern part of the state, linked specifically to a tight-knit community that borders Arizona. It'slargely composed of mostly former members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a sect of the Mormon church.

The outbreak has since expanded north to areas in and around Salt Lake City, particularly following large school athletic events.

This week, the TriCounty Health Department, which encompasses three counties in the northeastern part of the state, reported five measles cases. All patients had been exposed at a state wrestling tournament that was held three weeks ago, Feb. 13-14. It can take 21 days to develop symptoms of measles after an exposure.

Statewide, Nolen said that more than 120 people have gone to the emergency room over the course of the outbreak. Thirty-one people were hospitalized for at least one night, and three people were placed in the intensive care unit.

Nurse practitioner Amanda Jocelyn has seen more than a dozen measles cases in her practice in the southern part of the state.

"The children I am seeing in clinic with measles are very, very ill. And in several cases, their parents and their caregivers get ill as well," Jocelyn said at Thursday's briefing.

One person, she said, experienced what's known as an aplastic crisis, which is "when the bone marrow shuts down red blood cell production and the body becomes extremely anemic."

Another, an otherwise healthy young mother, Jocelyn said, was admitted to the intensive care unit with measles-induced hepatitis. Her liver had become severely inflamed.

As of Friday, the U.S. has logged 1,281 measles cases since Jan. 1, according to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. That's more than half of the total number of cases reported last year: 2,283.

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Thirty states have reportedoutbreaks in 2026. The vast majority of cases are in kids and teenagers who have not received a measles vaccine. Twenty-three percent of cases have occurred in children younger than 5 years old, while older kids ages 5 through 19 account for 54% of cases, the CDC said. Ninety-three percent of people were unvaccinated.

As vaccine rates rise, outbreaks slow

In South Carolina, the site of thenation's largest measles outbreakin a generation, cases finally appear to be slowing. In the past week, the state only logged an additional six cases, bringing the total to 991.

During her weekly news briefing on Wednesday — the 23rd since the outbreak began last fall — state epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said residents have stepped up to get vaccinated.

In Spartanburg County, where the outbreak is concentrated, measles vaccinations were up 70% in February compared to the same time last year.

Measles-mumps-rubella vaccines, given in two doses around a child's first and fifth birthdays, provide 97% protection against the virus. That protection usually lasts a lifetime.

During outbreaks, babies 6 to 11 months old can be given an early extra shot. Since the outbreak began last fall, Bell said, more than 4,800 MMR doses have been given in this age group.

"The reason for that recommendation is because of serious complications that can occur in young children, for example, pneumonia," Bell said. "That's the leading cause of death for measles in children under the age of 5."

As soon as next week, three CDC epidemic intelligence officers will arrive in South Carolina to help analyze the massive amount of data the state has collected from the outbreak, Bell said. The goal is to have a better understanding of how the virus spreads in schools and the community, as well as how many people exposed to the virus ultimately get sick.

It's the first time that the state has requested this type of help from the CDC, she said.

While the South Carolina outbreak appears to be dwindling in cases, Bell said that she and her team remain on guard.

"Given the surge in cases we saw following the Christmas holidays, we remain concerned that another surge could occur following spring break," she said.

Measles infections usually start with symptoms similar to the flu or other common viruses: headache, fever, cough and runny nose. Jocelyn said that her measles patients had fevers up to 105 that lasted up to a week, accompanied by severe coughing.

Within days, patients tend to develop red, watery eyes and tiny white spots inside the mouth.

People who have measles are highly contagious during this phase, up to four days before the telltale splotchy red rash appears on the scalp, neck, trunk, arms and legs.

March 6 (Reuters) - The Trump administration is ruling out deploying the Treasury Department to trade oil futures ‌for now, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing ‌a person familiar with the matter.

Officials discussed getting the Treasury Department involved, ​but believe its ability to meaningfully affect the market is limited, the report said.

Global oil prices have jumped since the war with Iran started on Saturday, as the spreading ‌conflict disrupts Middle East ⁠supplies. However, prices fell on Thursday for the first time in six days following reports ⁠that the U.S. may intervene in the futures market.

Officials were also hesitant to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve right ​away because ​it was now only about ​60% full, Bloomberg News ‌added.

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The White House and the Treasury did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

A senior White House official had said on Thursday that the Treasury was soon ‌expected to announce measures aimed at ​combating rising energy prices in ​the wake of the ​Iran conflict, including potential action involving the ‌oil futures market.

The details of ​the plan were ​unclear and the White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters, declined to provide ​specifics, saying ‌they did not want to get ahead of the ​Treasury announcement.

(Reporting by Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing ​by Alexandra Hudson, Elaine Hardcastle)