HERE ARE THE TOP STORIES
The US dropped a huge bomb on Afghanistan to show ISIS “they’re not welcome.”
Rather than dropping multiple bombs on a suspected set of ISIS-controlled tunnels, the US for the first time used a weapon nicknamed the "Mother of All Bombs."
Two factors drove the decision to use the weapon — the largest conventional munition that the US has ever used in a combat theatre — the Pentagon said: that the target was underground tunnels and the enemy was ISIS.
In tests, the explosion from a MOAB — which actually stands for Massive Ordnance Aerial Blast — could reportedly be seen as far as 20 miles away. By using such a strong bomb, US and Afghan troops were in the least amount of danger, the Pentagon said.
The Afghan Defense Ministry said that at least 36 militants had died from the bombing, and no civilians were killed.
WE’RE KEEPING AN EYE ON
A lawyer for the United passenger who was dragged off a flight says there will be a lawsuit.
Thomas Demetrio, the attorney for Dr. David Dao, said Thursday that Dao suffered a "significant concussion," "a serious broken nose," and lost two front teeth after being dragged off a United flight by security officials after he refused to voluntarily give up his seat.
Videos widely-shared on social media captured the incident prompting mass outrage against United and forcing the airline's CEO to "deeply apologize" to Dao.
Dao’s daughter, Crystal Dao Pepper, spoke out for the first time about her father's forcible removal, saying her family was "horrified and shocked and sickened" by what happened. "Seeing it on video, made those emotions exacerbated," said Pepper. "My dad is healing right now."
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS?
How Germany fought back against far-right populism.
Support for Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has slumped dramatically in recent weeks, down to single figures in most polls. Its collapse in its popular support follows infighting, a slowing of asylum applications, and a string of controversies.
There are still five months until the German federal elections and this plummet in the polls could yet reverse. But the far-right party’s slide is the result of an extraordinarily focused effort from both media and the government to defeat the far-right through controlling the language of immigration discourse as well as a raft of expensive policies.
BuzzFeed News’ Alberto Nardelli spoke to government officials, members of parliament, and political analysts to track how it was done.
QUICK THINGS TO KNOW
US news: In his first public remarks, CIA director Mike Pompeo issued a blistering indictment of Wikileaks, Russia, and its influence in the US election. And a look at the life and tragic death of the first female Muslim judge in America.
Politics: President Donald Trump signed a bill into law Thursday that allows states to individually remove family planning funding from Planned Parenthood.
Canada’s Liberal government introduced legislation that will legalize recreational marijuana use by July 2018. Here’s what that would look like.
Media world: The editors of the Russian independent newspaper that first reported on the kidnappings and killings of gay men in Chechnya are now afraid for the safety of their staffers. Over 550 Amazon employees are pressuring leadership to cut advertising ties with Breitbart. And a new survey found that Americans can’t agree on what exactly “news” is on Facebook.
Google is opposing pressure for the company to study and report whether it has a gender-based pay gap. And Burger King successfully hijacked people's Google Home speakers on Wednesday night. Here’s the backstory on that.
ICYMI: Scientists taught a robot language and it immediately turned racist.
WEEKEND READS
Greenleaf Makes Space On TV For Queer Black People In Church: Of any show on television, the OWN series lands nearest to an honest representation of my experience as a gay black man still struggling with what the church asked of me.
How The Rock Became America’s Favorite Populist Hero: Whether he’s playing an action star or a woke bae, The Fate Of The Furious star is ready to be who you want him to be.
Why Better Call Saul Is An Unexpectedly Feminist Show: As its third season begins, the AMC series shows that female representation matters as much behind the scenes as it does in front of the camera.
How Oprah Got Her Acting Groove Back: The empathy that made Oprah famous is also what makes her such a captivating actor.
For the latest news and updates, download the BuzzFeed News app for iOS and Android (available in Canadian, UK, Australian, and U.S. app stores).
This letter was edited and brought to you by BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.