Israel Bombs Beirut, Attacks In Michigan And Virginia, Housing Bill

March 13, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Israeli forces struck central Beirut for the third time since the war began, issuing the first-ever evacuation order for a part of the city’s core. The strike hit the Bashura neighborhood, a busy residential and commercial area about a kilometer from the prime minister’s office, the UN building, and several foreign embassies. NPR’s Hadeel Al-Shalchi reported that the usual buzz of Israeli drones stopped around 5:30 p.m. local time, replaced by fighter jets, a warning strike, and then two large explosions. The targeted building was damaged but not destroyed. Israel’s military chief said the operation in Lebanon “will not be short.” The strike came after Hezbollah unleashed its heaviest barrage of rockets on Israel in the current conflict — the Israeli military estimated 200 rockets — and Iran fired ballistic missiles at the same time. An official speaking anonymously told NPR the central Beirut strike was symbolic, meant to send a message that Israel will not tolerate Hezbollah’s fire much longer. The war has displaced nearly a million people in Lebanon and up to 3.2 million in Iran, according to the UN. Over 700 people have been killed in Lebanon, per Lebanese officials.

Two Attacks Under Investigation

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What you'll learn

1 (00:02) **Israel Strikes Central Beirut** - Israeli forces hit central Beirut for the third time since the war began, issuing the first-ever evacuation order for a part of the city.
2 (01:40) **Reporter Describes the Attack and Displacement** - NPR's Hadeel Al-Shalchi details the scene in Beirut and the broader humanitarian toll.
3 (04:51) **FBI Investigates Two Attacks in Michigan and Virginia** - Two separate acts of violence occurred on Thursday, one at a synagogue in Michigan and a shooting at a university in Virginia.
4 (05:17) **Details on the Michigan Synagogue Attack** - A man drove a car into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan.
5 (06:39) **Details on the Virginia University Shooting** - A former member of the Virginia Army National Guard opened fire in an ROTC classroom.
6 (08:52) **Senate Passes Major Housing Bill** - The Senate passed a sweeping housing bill with bipartisan support, aiming to lower costs and increase supply.
7 (12:09) **Listener Shoutout and Credits** - The hosts acknowledge a listener review and close the show.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Hadeel Al-Shalchi Elizabeth Warren

Show Notes

Israel struck central Beirut overnight and issued the first ever evacuation order for part of the capital, as Israel vows it will not stop until Hezbollah is defeated and nearly a million people are displaced in Lebanon alone.
The FBI is investigating two separate attacks as acts of terrorism — an armed man drove a car into a Michigan synagogue, and a gunman with a prior ISIS conviction opened fire in a Virginia university classroom, killing one person.
And the Senate passed the largest housing bill in decades with bipartisan support, including a ban on large corporations buying up single-family homes, but it faces an uncertain path with President Trump.

**Correction: In a previous audio version of this episode we mistakenly stated that car that drove into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan was packed with explosives.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Hannah Block, Cheryl Corley, Julia Redpath, Kara Platoni, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.

Our director is Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange

Our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.

(0:00) Introduction
(01:54) Israel Bombs Beirut
(05:30) Attacks In Michigan And Virginia
(09:44) Housing Bill

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