Israel attacks Beirut; Temple Israel; ODU; Housing bill : NPR
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Today’s best stories
Israel launched attacks on central Beirut last nightintensifying its offensive in Lebanon after the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group fired rockets into Israel. The exchange marks one of the fiercest fights between the two sides since the start of the Iran war. Today, US Central Command confirmed that at least four crew members were killed when a refueling plane crashed in western Iraq. Yesterday, Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued his first message, promising to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed.
People inspect the site of a destroyed branch of Al-Qard Al-Hassan, a non-bank financial institution run by Hezbollah, which was hit by an Israeli airstrike in central Beirut, Thursday, March 12, 2026.
Hussein Malla/AP
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Hussein Malla/AP
- 🎧 Israel issues its first evacuation order since the start of the Iran war for a 300-meter radius around a building in Beirut’s Bachura neighborhood, NPR’s Hadeel Al-Shalchi reports First. The Israeli military says it is killing and targeting Hezbollah members, but the details of what was targeted in this building last night are unclear. An official not authorized to speak publicly told NPR that the strike was symbolic and intended to send a message that Israel would no longer tolerate Hezbollah fire. The Lebanese president recently called for direct negotiations with Israel to end the war and asked the international community to help him strengthen his army to try to disarm Hezbollah. Israel has not commented publicly, but the official told NPR that Israel is seeing positive signs coming from Lebanon to suppress Hezbollah. Al-Shalchi says it would not be surprising if talks took place soon.
The FBI is investigating two separate attacks that occurred yesterday. In Michigan, a gunman rammed a car into the Temple Israel synagogue. In Virginia, another man opened fire in a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps classroom at Old Dominion University, killing one man and wounding two others.
- 🎧 Security officers exchanged gunfire with the suspected suspect in Michigan, who was found dead. Authorities identified him as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, 41. He was a naturalized citizen born in Lebanon. NPR confirmed that an Israeli strike in Lebanon killed two of Ghazli’s brothers and two of his brother’s children earlier this month. His parents were injured and are hospitalized. Authorities have not yet shared a motive for the attack and say their investigation will take time, according to Alex McLenon of NPR station WDET.
- 🎧 Authorities identified the Old Dominion University shooter as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 36, of Sterling, Virginia. Members of the ROTC class tackled him to the ground and he was ultimately killed. Jalloh was honorably discharged from the Virginia National Guard in 2015. Steve Walsh of NPR station WHRO says he appears to have been radicalized over the next few years. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison and five years of supervised release in 2017 after pleading guilty to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq. He was released in 2024. The FBI is investigating the incident as an act of terrorism, citing his previous arrest and witness reports that he shouted “Allahu Akbar,” the Arabic phrase meaning “God is greatest.”
The Senate yesterday passed the largest housing bill in decades with a vote of 89 to 10. The bipartisan legislation aims to improve housing affordability and availability by deregulating, expanding existing programs and prohibiting large corporations from purchasing single-family homes, with few exceptions.
- 🎧 The bill, which contains more than 40 provisions, aims to reduce housing costs by encouraging more housing construction.says NPR’s Stephan Bisaha. The country lacks millions of housing units to meet demand, but Bisaha explains that the federal government does not have a “big lever” on which it could act to impose more construction. The legislation is therefore an amalgamation of different programs and incentives that co-sponsoring Senator Elizabeth Warren describes as a “giant meatball.” It includes a popular provision barring institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes. While some accuse these investors of driving up prices by outbidding families, research on this is mixed. Bisaha notes that large investors own few homes in the United States and, in some cases, help keep costs down.
Live better
Digitally generated image of a young African American man wearing a suit standing on a purple ramp and looking at several message chat icons. Artificial intelligence chatbot communication concept.
Andriy Onufriyenko/Moment RF/Getty Images
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Andriy Onufriyenko/Moment RF/Getty Images
Living Better is a special series about what it takes to stay healthy in America.
Technology companies are deploying platforms specifically designed for healthcare consultations, and AI is quickly becoming a key player in shaping individuals’ medical decisions. OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, reports that more than 40 million people visit the platform daily for health information. But new research shows that AI can mislead users in certain medical scenarios. And the quality of the health information it conveys depends on how effectively a person uses the tools.
- 🗨️ One study found that even when AI correctly identifies a condition, it often doesn’t present next steps with enough urgency. Researchers found that robots were “undertriaged” in 52% of emergency cases, treating the illness as less serious than it was.
- 🗨️ Health care can be difficult to afford and access, so consulting AI can often be better than alternatives, says Robert Wachter, a physician at UC San Francisco.
- 🗨️ Adam Rodman, a hospitalist who researches AI programs, says the right time to use AI is before or after seeing a doctor to be more informed about your health. This helps you use your time with your doctor effectively.
Weekend Picks
Find out what NPR watch, read and listen this weekend:
🍿 Movies: In Hoppersa young woman uses mind-blowing technology to inhabit an animatronic beaver in hopes of saving a beloved glade from serious risk of destruction via the town’s slimy mayor.
📺 Television: MGM+ American classic is a hidden gem, says NPR TV critic David Bianculli. In the series, a Shakespearean actor returns to his small hometown after a crisis and works to save the local theater.
📚 Books: In his new book Darkology: Blackface and the American Way of EntertainmentRhae Lynn Barnes traces the origins of minstrel shows, which are performances in which an actor paints a racist portrait of a black person, often formerly enslaved.
🎵 Music: Kacey Musgraves’ new song, “Dry Spell,” is about the longest time she spent alone as an adult. The song appears on his sixth album, In the middle of nowhere, released May 1st. She sat down with NPR Music for an exclusive first interview about her new music.
🌮 Food: The Oscars are this weekend. If you’re inviting people over to watch, NPR has some ridiculous menu ideas to reflect this year’s idiosyncratic list of Best Picture nominees.
❓Quizzes: I got a rating of nine out of 10 for two weeks in a row. I will reach that perfect score soon. In the meantime, it’s your turn to aim for an impeccable result.
3 things to know before you leave
NASA employees briefed the media Thursday at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, about the Artemis II mission delay. The press conference focused on revisions and fixes to the rocket’s components.
Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images
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Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images
- NASA announced yesterday that it is targeting a launch date as early as April 1 for Artemis II, a 10-day mission that will send four astronauts around the Moon and back.
- Smiljan Radić Clarke won the Pritzker Prize, often called the Nobel of architecture.
- Fisher F003, a large weasel fitted with a GPS collar by researchers, traveled about 80 miles, the longest documented dispersal journey for the species. (via RPSN)
This newsletter was published by Suzanne Nuyen.
