Vox Sentences: Jordan strikes back at ISIS

Welcome to Vox Sentences, our news bulletin breaking down the day's biggest stories.

1. Jordan strikes back

Jordanian troops near the country's border with Iraq. (Salah Malkawi / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

• ISIS claims a Jordanian airstrike killed American hostage Kayla Jean Mueller.

  [CNN / Greg Botelho and Jomana Karadsheh]

• But ISIS lies about its hostages all the time, so don't be surprised if they're lying about Mueller's death.

  [Vox / Amanda Taub]

• Jordan appears to be striking back at ISIS after a video purportedly showed the group killing a Jordanian pilot.

  [Associated Press / Karin Laub and Mohammed Daragmeh]

• The video depicted ISIS burning the pilot to death.

  [Washington Post / Taylor Luck and William Booth]

• ISIS's taped executions are meant to terrorize people under its rule and attract recruits.

  [Vox / Zack Beauchamp]

• But some analysts think ISIS's tactics may not be effective.

  [New York Times / Rod Nordland]

• If you're unsure what ISIS is, check out our explainer.

  [Vox / Zack Beauchamp]

2. The Grammys are Sunday

Grammy awards. (Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images Entertainment)

• The 57th Grammys are this Sunday.

  [Grammys]

• Here are the nominees.

  [Vox / Kelsey McKinney]

• Here's what you need to know about every Grammy category.

  [Vox / Kelsey McKinney]

• And here's why Song, Album, and Record are different categories.

  [Vox / Kelsey McKinney]

• As you celebrate or rage about the results this Sunday, remember that the Grammy voting process is completely nuts.

  [Vox / Kelsey McKinney]

3. Did Harper Lee say yes?

"To Kill a Mockingbird" author Harper Lee. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images News)

• "To Kill a Mockingbird" author Harper Lee supposedly backed her upcoming book in a statement issued by her lawyer.

  [New York Times / Alexandra Alter and Serge F. Kovaleski]

• "I'm alive and kicking and happy as hell with the reactions to 'Watchman.'"

  [Harper Lee in a statement to New York Times / Alexandra Alter and Serge F. Kovaleski]

• But people remain skeptical about whether Lee, whose mental health is in question, actually gave permission — or if she's being manipulated by her publisher and lawyer.

  [Jezebel / Madeleine Davies]

• "It’s easier for the lawyer to go see her in the nursing home and say HarperCollins would like to do this and do that and get her permission. That's the only reason nobody's in touch with her. I'm told it's very difficult to talk to her."

  [Van Dusen, Lee's editor, to New York Magazine / David Marchese]

• New York Magazine has a great history of the famous author, who's a very private person, and all the conflicting theories that surround her.

  [New York Magazine / Boris Kachka]

4. Misc.

• Vaccine delayers don't hate vaccines — but they don't vaccinate their children on time.

  [Vox / Julia Belluz]

• Canada legalized physician-assisted suicide.

  [Vox / Sarah Kliff]

• The US added 257,000 jobs in January.

  [New York Times / Nelson Schwartz]

• NBC is probing anchor Brian Williams' faulty reports on Hurricane Katrina and Iraq.

  [Washington Post / Paul Farhi]

• This horribly dull government report could change music forever. Vox read it for you.

  [Vox / Kelsey McKinney]

5. Verbatim

• "As a resident of the District, I might not agree about legalization, but I do agree with our own ability to spend our own money the way that we want to do that."

  [White House drug czar Michael Botticelli]

• "These statistics are egregious, backwards-thinking, and infuriating. But not enough to make me root for Iggy."

  [New York Magazine / Lindsay Zoladz]

• "We started with pure affection for this character [Saul Goodman], to the point that all we really knew, being brutally honest about our process, was that we loved putting words in this character's mouth."

  [Vince Gilligan to Vox / Todd VanDerWerff]

• "If I was the president of the United States I would resign."

  [Ty Wick, via Brian Gaar]

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