Bomb theory shakes Russian plane crash probe. Four people injured in school stabbing. And NASA has more big Mars news.
It’s Thursday, and here are five things to know for your new day.
PLANE CRASH
Game changer?: U.S. intelligence analysis suggests ISIS may have bombed Metrojet Flight 9268. The British have come to the same conclusion. Officials said signs pointing to ISIS are based on monitoring of internal messages of the terror group. ISIS has publicly taken credit for the attack, but there are doubters: officials in Egypt and Russia said, so far, there’s no evidence to support ISIS’ claims. As the investigation continues, Metrojet’s entire Airbus A321 fleet has been grounded for “additional safety checks.”
STAGED SUICIDE
Hero no more: At his funeral two months ago, Fox Lake, Illinois, police Lt. Joe Gliniewicz was hailed as a hero. Yesterday, his fellow police officers had another name for him: betrayer. Gliniewicz staged his own suicide to look like a homicide, investigators concluded, and it turns out that wasn’t his first deception. He had been stealing and laundering money for years from a police department program that mentored young people who hoped to become law enforcement officers. Gliniewicz’s death drew much attention initially because everyone thought it was another case of an officer killed in the line of duty.
CAMPUS VIOLENCE
School stabbing: It wasn’t a gun this time, but a knife that was used in an attack at a California university yesterday. A male student walked into a classroom at University of California, Merced and stabbed four people as classes began. He was fatally shot by campus police. Authorities haven’t released the man’s identity or a motive for the attack.
IRAN
Chant correction: The “Death to America” chant doesn’t literally mean death to America. So says someone who should know: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. After giving a speech to university students earlier this week where the chant was used, Khamenei decided, for whatever reason, to offer some clarity. He said the chant means death to U.S. policies and arrogance, and “this logic is accepted by every nation when explained in clear terms.” Oh snap, the Ayatollah just dropped the mic.
SPACE
Martian message: So is today the day we find out Mars has been harboring little green men? Probably not, but NASA may reveal something pretty important today, when it makes another big announcement on Mars. The space agency has offered few hints before this afternoon’s news conference, and — while some hope the news will be about life on Mars — more than likely the announcement will offer new insight on the red planet’s atmosphere. Not as sexy as aliens, but still pretty meaningful.