Good morning. Here are some of the headlines we're following this morning:
1. EgyptAir Jet Crashed After Vanishing: French President
An EgyptAir flight with 66 people on board crashed while en route from Paris to Cairo on Thursday, French President Francois Hollande confirmed. But he said at a news conference that it was too soon to speculate on the cause. Read more in NEWS.
2. Crash Raises Fears of ‘Worst-Case Scenario’
It has once again put the country's aviation safety track record in the spotlight. Read more in NEWS.
3. What Were Air Marshals Doing on Jet?
Three air marshals were among the 66 people aboard the EgyptAir jet, although France's transport chief said that having that many security officers on such a flight was "the usual practice." Read more in NEWS.
4. Trump Lobs Bill Clinton ‘Rape’ Allegation
Donald Trump on Wednesday used the word "rape" regarding a decades old allegation against Clinton — and said it should be on the table when it comes to scrutiny of wife Hillary Clinton's campaign. Read more in POLITICS.
5. GOP Senator Apologized to Muslims for Trump
In the final days of his life, former Utah Republican Sen. Bob Bennett turned to his son and asked him, "Are there any Muslims in this hospital?" Bennett had become increasingly concerned with Trump's rhetoric in recent months, and said he wanted to apologize to Muslims on behalf of the Republican Party. Read more in POLITICS.
6. Zuckerberg Meets With Conservatives Amid Furor
Acknowledging that "many conservatives don't trust that [Facebook] surfaces content without a political bias," Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg met with about a dozen prominent right-wingers Wednesday at the company's California headquarters. Read more in TECH.
7. Survivor of Home Invasion Running for State House
Dr. William Petit Jr., whose wife and two daughters were killed in a 2007 home invasion that horrified the country, will run for an open seat in the Connecticut legislature as the Republican Party's nominee. Read more at NBC CONNECTICUT.
Nightly Spotlight
When 100-year-old Ella Mae Colbert fell in her first attempt at a world record in the 100-meter dash, she got back up, tried again — and set a new world record.