Attacks. On the trail, at the beach, in a square. It’s Monday, and here are the 5 things you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door.
CAMPAIGN 2016
Weekend update: The dominant force on the campaign trail this weekend was — no surprise — The Donald. He had to cancel a rally Friday after protesters and supporters mixed it up. On Saturday, a guy tried to bum-rush him on stage. Then GOP foe Rubio said, eh, maybe I can’t support this guy as nominee after all. And yesterday, during the Dems’ town hall, Hillz and Bernie called him a pathological liar and a political arsonist. Now we turn our attention to “Super Tuesday 3: The Final Showdown,” or whatever apocalyptic sounding title you want to put on it.
IVORY COAST ATTACK
Beach bloodshed: Evil Inc. was back at it again this weekend, rearing its ugly head in a pair of terror attacks. In the first, gunmen killed 16 people, including 14 civilians, in attacks yesterday on three hotels in the beach resort city of Grand-Bassam in the Ivory Coast. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which has targeted hotels in West Africa before, claimed responsibility. Folks who study such things say this Al Qaeda offshoot has stepped up its attacks because it wants to compete with ISIS. That’s a competition nobody wants.
TURKEY BLAST
Car carnage: Evil Inc’s second attack was in Turkey’s capital of Ankara. A city square there was hit with a car bomb explosion yesterday evening, killing more than 30 people and injuring more than 100. No official word yet on who carried out this attack, but Turkey’s President blamed the region’s instability — in other words, next-door-neighbor Syria’s civil war — for the violence. Just last month a bombing that targeted military vehicles in Ankara killed 28 people.
GERMANWINGS CRASH
Report recommendation: Should doctors be able to break patient confidentiality rules and report on pilots’ health issues? Yes, recommends the final report on the Germanwings Flight 9525 crash. Almost a year ago, co-pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately crashed the plane into the French Alps, killing 150 people. The report, released yesterday, says doctors suggested two weeks before the crash that Lubitz be put in a psychiatric hospital.
OFFICER KILLING
‘A real cop’s cop’: That’s how fellow officers described Jacai Colson, a Prince George’s County, Maryland, police officer who was shot and killed yesterday. The suspect who killed him launched an unprovoked attack on a police station, reportedly firing on the first officer he saw. Police returned fire and wounded the man, who’s expected to survive. Colson, an undercover narcotics officer, was a four-year vet of the department. He would have turned 29 this week.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
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Putting your Monday in perspective
Tulane’s Ed Conroy finds out he’s fired in the middle of a game when “two guys behind the bench put their phone up and tell me ‘Coach you’re gone.'” Ouch!
Bracketology
Speaking of basketball, today’s the day all good Americans ignore their jobs and instead work feverishly on their NCAA tournament brackets. This will help.
Rocker remembered
Keith Emerson was the Emerson in Emerson, Lake & Palmer, one of progressive rock’s first supergroups. He died late last week at age 71.
Hide and seek
Is Richard Simmons missing or is he just really good at keeping a low profile? Despite the rumors, his rep said Simmons is simply out of the limelight.
Way to go, little sister
Sasha Obama meets Ryan Reynolds, and both big sister Malia and the Internet give an enthusiastic thumbs up.
WHAT’S FOR LUNCH
Here’s what’s happening today.
Your Monday must-read
Tomorrow marks the 5th year of the unending civil war in Syria. And all week, we’ll mark this tragic milestone with a series of stories from inside the rebel-held parts, as they’re repeatedly bombarded by Russian and regime fighter jets. Set aside a few minutes today to read this powerful account by CNN’s Clarissa Ward of a war crime she witnesses.
Number of the day
0.03%
How much energy use is reduced by Daylight Saving Time. On the other hand, it raises the risk of heart attacks by 10%. No wonder, we’re not too hot about this whole “spring forward” business anymore.
AND FINALLY …
Nom nom nom!
This tortoise determined to nibble on a sleeping kitty’s toes is just what you need for your case of the Mondays.