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

Iraqi forces repel ISIS attack on Fallujah's outskirts, the Warriors win, and more

Golden State Warriors advance to NBA Finals with win over Oklahoma City
(Image credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

1. Iraqi troops fight off ISIS counterattack in southern Fallujah

Iraqi forces trying to retake Fallujah repelled a four-hour attack by Islamic State fighters on the city's southern edge on Tuesday. The government forces were supported by airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition. ISIS used tunnels, snipers, and car-bombs in their attack a day after Iraqi soldiers had captured nearly 85 percent of the mostly agricultural area called Nuaimiya on the city's outskirts. Fallujah is 40 miles from Baghdad. It is the last major city in western Iraq still under ISIS control.

The Associated Press

2. Animal rights activists disrupt Bernie Sanders speech

Five animal-rights activists rushed the stage at a Bernie Sanders campaign rally in Oakland late Monday, prompting two agents to jump in and push Sanders away from the microphone. Security dragged the protesters into nearby Oakland City Hall, and Sanders, looking more annoyed than frightened, returned to the mic and said, "We are not easily intimidated." The group, Direct Action Everywhere, claimed responsibility for the protest, saying it wanted to persuade Sanders to take a tough stand against factory farms.

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ABC News Reuters

3. Obama lays wreath at Arlington cemetery to mark Memorial Day

President Obama marked Memorial Day by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery on Monday. Obama urged Americans to honor fallen service members by caring for their families, and their fellow service members who have returned home. "We need to be there not just when we need them," Obama said, "but when they need us."

The Associated Press

4. Holder says Snowden 'performed a public service' but still broke law

Former attorney general Eric Holder said in a CNN-produced podcast released Monday that National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden "actually performed a public service" in exposing the agency's surveillance secrets. Holder told David Axelrod in the podcast that Snowden's leaks were positive in "raising the debate that we engaged in and by the changes that we made." Holder said Snowden nevertheless broke the law and "harmed American interests" by revealing classified government secrets, and deserved jail time.

CNN

5. Clinton just 2 points ahead of Trump in new national poll

Donald Trump only trails Hillary Clinton by two points nationally, a new NBC News/Survey Monkey poll released Tuesday reveals. Clinton leads the presumptive Republican nominee just 47 percent to 45 percent — a narrow edge just barely outside the poll's 1.2-point margin of error. Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) boasts a 12-point lead over Trump in a hypothetical general election matchup, 52 percent to 40 percent.

Politico

6. Former Chad president found guilty of crimes against humanity

An African court on Monday found Chad's former dictator, Hissene Habre, guilty of crimes against humanity, and sentenced him to life in prison. The trial in the Extraordinary African Chambers in Senegal began last July. Habre was accused of ordering the killings of 40,000 people during his rule from 1982 to 1990, and other human rights crimes. Habre denied the charges, and refused to recognize the legitimacy of the court. It was the first example of a leader being tried in another country's courts for human rights crimes.

USA Today CNN

7. Katie Couric admits deceptively editing pro-gun activists in documentary

Journalist Katie Couric admitted to deceptively editing an exchange with gun rights activists in Under the Gun, a documentary she produced and narrated about gun violence. "I take responsibility for a decision that misrepresented an exchange I had with members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League," she said. The edit made the activists appear stumped and ashamed by her question about felons and terrorists purchasing guns if there are no background checks, when in fact they responded quickly to the criticism and had candid answers. The edit was exposed by The Washington Free Beacon last week.

CNN

8. North Korea reportedly fails again in latest missile test

North Korea failed in its latest attempt to launch an intermediate-range ballistic missile, the latest in a series of embarrassing setbacks, according to the South Korean military. The missile appeared to have exploded right after ignition on Tuesday. Japan called the apparent launch attempt a "provocative" act. The missile was believed to have been a powerful Musudan with a range of about 2,500 miles, far enough to reach U.S. naval and air bases in Guam. It would be the fourth failed Musudan test launch since April.

The Korea Times Agence France Presse

9. Brazilian anti-corruption minister resigns

Brazil's anti-corruption minister, Fabiano Silveira, resigned on Monday after recordings surfaced in which he is heard giving legal advice to the Senate president, who is under investigation for links to corruption at the state-controlled oil company Petrobras. Silveira also criticized the investigation itself. He is the first person to resign from the administration of interim President Michel Temer, who took over after President Dilma Rousseff was suspended on May 12 pending her impeachment trial.

Reuters The New York Times

10. Warriors beat Thunder to cap comeback and advance to NBA Finals

The Golden State Warriors beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the NBA Western Conference Finals on Monday to advance to the league finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second straight year. The Warriors became just the 10th team in the professional basketball league's history to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a seven-game playoff series. Warriors star Stephen Curry helped clinch the win with a game-high 36 points. The Warriors and Cavaliers meet for the first game of the finals on Thursday.

The Oregonian

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Harold Maass, The Week US

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.