A 5th suspect. A 4-4 tie. And 2 pieces of debris. It’s Thursday, and here are the 5 things you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door:
BRUSSELS ATTACK
The race is on: Authorities now think there was a second man involved in the bombing at the Brussels train station. That brings the total number of men who carried out the airport-and-subway attacks to five. We know three died in the airport blast. We’ve seen the image of one suspect who may be on the run. And now, there’s this guy, seen in surveillance holding a large bag. It all points to a much bigger terror network than suspected. And cops are playing catch-up, hoping there isn’t another attack before they figure things out.
TRANSGENDER BATHROOM BILL
Flushing your tax dollars down the toilet: Didn’t we just go through this in South Dakota? Well, it’s North Carolina’s turn now. The state wants to require transgendered people to use restrooms that match their birth sex. The South Dakota governor vetoed his state’s bill. The NC governor just signed it. State lawmakers felt so strong about this issue that they convened a special session, reportedly at a cost of $42,000.
SUPREME COURT
Four on four: This, ladies and gentleman, is why the Supreme Court needs nine justices. The court heard arguments yesterday on the latest challenge to Obamacare: whether the government can require employers to provide free contraception coverage to female workers. Religious groups say this violates their belief — even though they can opt out just by filling out some forms. Well, the Supremes appear evenly divided on this one; a 4-4 tie. Paging Merrick Garland, or really, anyone.
CAMPAIGN 2016
Dump Trump: In today’s edition, we got Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker saying The Ted is the “only one” who can beat The Donald. We got Jeb! throwing his support behind Cruz. And Mitt Romney’s got jokes: “Donald Trump has had several foreign wives. It turns out that there really are jobs Americans won’t do.” The GOP is doing the Dems’ job for them, but Hillz is getting in her shots too. Trump winning “would be like Christmas for the Kremlin,” she said. Ouch.
MH370
Mysteries of the deep: It’s taken a couple of years, but the Indian Ocean is finally giving up its MH370 secrets. Two pieces of debris found in Mozambique last month are “highly likely” to be from the wreckage of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight, officials said today. The paint and other markings match the airline. The parts are consistent with the only missing 777. It’s not hard to connect the dots. But are we any closer to finding the main wreckage? No one knows.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
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Number of the Day: $30-$35 million
The price Sotheby’s expects a 10.10 carat rare blue diamond to fetch at auction. A small price to pay for that special someone in your life.
Ridin’ nerdy
Reaction poured in from all around when the word warrior Phife Dawg of a Tribe Called Quest died. But none was as fanboy-a-licious as this tribute from an Atlanta traffic reporter.
Snakes on a plate
Remember the dude who tossed an alligator through a Wendy’s drive-thru? Now, meet the man who threw a 13-foot-long python at diners inside a sushi place.
Ba(l)d Santa
David Letterman, proving it’s not the camera but rather staying away from it, that adds 10 pounds!
Flights of fancy
Love Uber? But wish you could ride-share on a private jet? Well, there’s an app for that.
Paper thin
Women in China are posting pix of themselves with A4 sheets to see if their waists can hide behind its 8.3-inch width. The state paper calls it a “fitness challenge.” #oof
AND FINALLY …
Clearly, The Donald is in love with love.