Iran shows off some hardware. Lamar Odom fights for his life. And more violence in Israel.
It’s Thursday, and here are five things to know for your new day.
IRAN
Revealed: Iran is flexing some military muscle. Yesterday it broadcast pictures from underground missile bases, buried deep inside a mountain. This comes after state media in the country reported that Iran had test-fired new long-range ballistic missiles. That’s a likely violation of a U.N. resolution, but not of the new Iran nuclear deal, because the deal’s not in effect yet.
LAMAR ODOM
Fighting: The Kardashians posted messages of support for Lamar Odom yesterday as he fights for his life in a Nevada hospital. His estranged wife Khloe Kardashian is at the hospital and will make medical decisions for him (which she can do because their divorce has not been finalized). Employees at the brothel where Odom was found unresponsive told 911 dispatchers that he used cocaine on Saturday and took 10 herbal supplement tablets over three days.
ISRAEL VIOLENCE
Chaos: It’s a disturbing trend. Young Palestinians stab people and police officers, seemingly at random before being killed by Israeli police. It’s a trend that’s played itself out repeatedly over the past few days, and yesterday was no exception. A man dressed in combat fatigues and armed with a knife lunged at police after they approached him. Police shot him dead. This follows an incident Saturday where Israeli police killed two Palestinians who also stabbed officers and others. Police are baffled by the attacks, but Mideast experts think the attackers were radicalized online. In response to the chaos, Israel shut down access to some Palestinian neighborhoods by setting up checkpoints. More police are also visible on the streets.
BENGHAZI COMMITTEE
Partisan?: A second GOP lawmaker caused a stir yesterday by saying that the House Select Committee on Benghazi is targeting the reputation of Hillary Clinton. Rep. Richard Hanna, on a New York radio show, said “a big part of this investigation that was designed to go after people and an individual, Hillary Clinton.” Democrats howled, saying this proves that the committee is just a “partisan farce.” House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said pretty much the same thing a few weeks ago, and that worked out so well for him that he dropped out of the race to be the next Speaker of the House.
LIGHTEST METAL
Airy: Planes made with Boeing’s new microlattice material really will be floating on air. That’s because the material — Boeing calls it the lightest metal ever made — is 99.99% air. Microlattice, which looks like a sponge or a mesh, is both flexible and very strong. Should it become widely used, Boeing said the material could help airlines save huge amounts of money, since a lighter aircraft requires less fuel, which is airlines’ largest operating expense.
