10 things you need to know today: March 31, 2016

1. Trump revises statement on punishment for illegal abortion after outcry

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump said Wednesday during a pre-taped MSNBC town hall that, if abortion is ever outlawed, women should face some "punishment" if they get an illegal abortion. He later walked back his statements under intense criticism from women's groups, and said the punishments should focus on those who perform the abortions, not the women. Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton responded by tweeting, "Just when you thought it couldn't get worse. Horrific and telling."

The Washington Post

2. No charges against officers over fatal shooting of Jamar Clark

Prosecutors said they would not file charges against white police officers Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze for the fatal November shooting of of an unarmed black man, Jamar Clark, in Minneapolis. The news sparked protests Wednesday night near where the shooting occurred. Prosecutors said evidence supports the officers' claims that Clark tried to grab one of their guns, and was not handcuffed when he was shot in the head. The officers were responding to a reported assault, and had been told that Clark was interfering with paramedics trying to treat his alleged victim.

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Star Tribune

3. Alarming new report warns sea levels could rise 6 feet by 2100, flooding coastal cities

Climate researchers warn in a new study published Wednesday in the journal Nature that rising sea levels could get much worse much faster than predicted. The melting of a massive Antarctic sheet of ice, coupled with ice melting in other regions, could cause sea levels to rise by as much as five or six feet by 2100. Previously, scientists had forecast that this was hundreds if not thousands of years away, and had projected the "worst-case scenario" to be half the rise in sea level now predicted. The New York Times warns that if this new research is proven true, it would likely result in "immense areas" along American coastlines having "to be abandoned to the rising sea." Among the great global cities at risk of being lost to the sea: New York, London, Venice, Shanghai, and Sydney.

The New York Times

4. Obama commutes sentences of 61 drug offenders

President Obama on Wednesday commuted the sentences of 61 prisoners convicted of low-level drug offenses. Most of their sentences "would have been shorter if they were convicted under today's laws," Obama said in a Facebook post. White House Counsel Neil Eggleston said in a blog post that the people whose sentences were shortened were imprisoned under "outdated and unduly harsh sentencing laws."

USA Today

5. D.C. Metro rail service could be suspended for months of repairs

Washington, D.C., authorities warned Wednesday that the transit system in the nation's capital is in such bad shape that it might be necessary to shut down entire lines for as long as six months to do repairs. Up to now, workers have made fixes during short shutdowns over nights and weekends. In an unprecedented move, transit officials shut down the Metro commuter rail system for over 24 hours on March 16 for safety inspections. Board Chairman Jack Evans said the Metro system needs $1 billion a year in additional funding.

The Washington Post

6. Overpass collapses, killing at least 14 in Kolkata, India

At least 14 people were killed when an overpass under construction in Kolkata, India, collapsed on Thursday. About 150 people were feared trapped under concrete and steel that fell onto traffic below. Rescuers tried to dig out survivors, removing wreckage with their bare hands. "The condition is pathetic," a police officer said. "At this moment no one has any clue how many people are trapped."

Reuters

7. Alabama governor's aide resigns amid affair allegations

Rebekah Mason, a top aide to Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley (R), has resigned one week after Bentley admitted to making "inappropriate" comments to her but denied they had an affair. After Bentley's office announced the news Wednesday, a GOP lawmaker said he planned to launch impeachment proceedings against Bentley. Mason said she would no longer work for Bentley in any capacity. "My only plans are to focus my full attention on my precious children and my husband who I love dearly," she said in a statement.

The Associated Press

8. Map of Belgian prime minister's office found on Brussels bomber's laptop

Authorities have found a floor plan and photographs of Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel's office on a laptop discarded by one of the suicide bombers in last week's Brussels attacks, a government official said Wednesday. The laptop was found in a trash can hours after the attacks, and contained the will of Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, who has been identified as one of the bombers. Also on Wednesday, French authorities said they had found an "unprecedented" cache of explosives and weapons in the apartment of an Islamic State operative arrested last week.

The New York Times

9. Egypt requests extradition of alleged hijacker

Egypt formally requested Wednesday that Cyprus extradite Seif Eldin Mustafa, the Egyptian man accused of hijacking a domestic EgyptAir flight to Cyprus. The hijacker reportedly forced the crew to divert the flight by threatening to blow up what turned out to be a phony explosive belt if they didn't comply. Mustafa reportedly said he hijacked the plane to see his ex-wife, who lives in Cyprus. Mustafa's ex-wife, Marina Paraschou, said he was "an extremely dangerous man" who beat her and their children.

The Washington Post The Associated Press

10. Sham cancer charities shutting down under settlement

The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday announced a settlement in which two bogus cancer charities agreed to be dissolved. The organizations — the Cancer Fund of America and Cancer Support Services — have been accused of bilking $75 million from donors. The phony charities' call centers claimed they helped cancer patients, but they reportedly spent most of the money they raised on personal expenses and fundraising. Their assets will be liquidated under the deal.

Detroit Free Press