10 things you need to know today: October 14, 2015

(Image credit: AP Photo/John Locher)

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1. Clinton and Sanders clash, dominating first Democratic debate
2. Dutch investigators say Russian missile took down Malaysia Airlines plane
3. Planned Parenthood stops accepting payment for fetal tissue
4. Sanders backs up Clinton on emails
5. Taliban withdraw from Kunduz
6. Israel deploys troops in cities to stop attacks
7. Apple loses University of Wisconsin patent lawsuit
8. Marlon James wins 2015 Man Booker Prize
9. Trump to host Saturday Night Live in November
10. Chicago advances to National League Championship Series

published 14 October 2015

1. Clinton and Sanders clash, dominating first Democratic debate

Frontrunner Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) clashed over gun control, national security, and other issues in the first Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday. Clinton slammed her insurgent challenger's vote to shield gun-makers from liability lawsuits. Sanders criticized Clinton for her 2002 Senate vote backing the Iraq war. Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, former Senator Jim Webb, and former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee battled for attention, hoping to use the national stage to boost their lagging campaigns.

A Russian-made missile system shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine last year, Dutch investigators said in a report released Tuesday. All 298 people on board were killed. The Dutch Safety Board also said Ukraine's government shared some of the blame, because it did not close the skies over the area, where it was battling pro-Russian separatists. The investigators could not say for sure who fired the surface-to-air missile.

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Planned Parenthood said Tuesday that it will stop taking payment for fetal tissue it provides for medical research. The women's health organization has faced intense criticism over videos secretly recorded by conservative activists contending Planned Parenthood tried to profit from the tissue. Planned Parenthood says only two of its 700 health centers supply fetal tissue from abortions to researchers, and only one has been reimbursed — legally, to cover costs.

Despite a biting showdown over most issues in the first Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) supported frontrunner Hillary Clinton on the main issue that has been hurting her campaign — her use of a private email server during her time as President Obama's secretary of state. Clinton repeated her regrets and accused Republicans of using investigations to "drive down [her] poll numbers." Sanders backed her up, saying she was right, "the American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails."

Taliban forces have withdrawn from the provincial Afghan capital of Kunduz, the Islamist extremist movement announced Tuesday. Taliban fighters seized control of Kunduz 15 days ago in their first takeover of any city in 14 years of war. The victory, however brief, dampened confidence in Afghan forces' abilities to provide security. While in Kunduz, the insurgents destroyed government facilities, seized military hardware, attacked opponents, and freed comrades from two prisons.

The Israeli military on Wednesday sent hundreds of soldiers to help police counter a wave of shooting and stabbing attacks by Palestinians in Israeli cities. The move came a day after a flurry of attacks killed three Israelis. Two attackers and another Palestinian also were killed. The rising violence has killed eight Israelis and 29 Palestinians, including 12 alleged attackers. Israel says young Palestinians unaffiliated with known militant groups have been responsible for the violence.

A Wisconsin jury on Tuesday found that Apple used University of Wisconsin technology without permission. The company could face up to $862 million in damages. The case involved Apple's A7, A8, and A8X processors, which are used in the iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus, and some iPads. Apple denied it had infringed on the patent, which it said was invalid. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in April rejected Apple's request for a review of the patent's validity.

Jamaican-born author and Macalester College professor Marlon James won the prestigious 2015 Man Booker Prize for A Brief History of Seven Killings, his fictionalized look at the 1976 attempt to assassinate reggae icon Bob Marley. Judges' chair Michael Wood called James' book the "most exciting" one on the shortlist of those considered, saying the 680-page epic was "full of surprises." The annual prize honors the best novel written in English.

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump will host NBC's Saturday Night Live on Nov. 7, the network announced Tuesday. It will be the second time the billionaire real estate mogul and former reality TV star has hosted the comedy sketch show. His first time was in 2004. NBC dropped Trump from its Celebrity Apprentice show over the summer after he entered the presidential race, and ended its partnership with Trump on the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants after he made derogatory comments about Mexican immigrants.

The Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 Tuesday night to advance to the National League Championship Series. After winning the best-of-five division series 3 games to 1, the Cubs next will face the winner of the Mets vs. Dodgers matchup in the other National League Division Series. It was the first time in the storied baseball team's history it clinched a post-season series win at home, Wrigley Field. The Cubs are shooting for their first World Series title since 1908.

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Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.