10 things you need to know today: October 20, 2014

1. U.S. airdrops weapons to Kurds fighting ISIS

The U.S. military on Sunday airdropped weapons and ammunition to Kurdish fighters battling the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, near the besieged town of Kobani in Syria, on the Turkish border. The U.S. Air Force C-130 transport aircraft also dropped medical supplies. The material was supplied by Kurdish authorities in Iraq. The U.S. said its 135 airstrikes against ISIS in recent days had slowed the Islamist group's offensive in the area.

Reuters

2. Obama attends his first campaign rallies two weeks ahead of November's midterms

President Obama made his first midterm campaign appearances of the year on Sunday, plugging Democratic gubernatorial candidate Anthony Brown in Maryland and Gov. Pat Quinn in Illinois. With just two weeks left before the November elections, Obama, who had been conspicuously absent from campaign season, spent as much time plugging the Democratic agenda as he did praising Brown, who is in a tight race against Republican Larry Hogan. Obama said voters know who Republicans are fighting for, "and it ain't you."

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CBS Local Chicago Tribuine

3. Sweden hunts for Russian sub in its waters

Sweden's military said Sunday that it was investigating "foreign underwater activity" that was believed to be a Russian submarine that had entered the country's waters without permission. Swedish media reported that the military had intercepted a message from a Russian mini-sub that appeared to have run into trouble in the Scandinavian nation's territorial waters, but Russia said none of its vessels were facing any emergency situations.

Sydney Morning Herald

4. Health officials tighten Ebola protocols

The federal government is imposing strict new guidelines for handling Ebola cases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Sunday. The revised protocols will require health care workers treating Ebola patients to wear protective gear that leaves no skin showing. The move came a day after President Obama urged Americans not to panic, because the odds of an outbreak of the deadly disease in the U.S. are extremely low.

Mashable

5. Pope Francis beatifies reformer Pope Paul VI

Pope Francis beatified Pope Paul VI on Sunday in a ceremony that closed a two-week assembly of Catholic bishops, putting Pope Paul a step closer to sainthood. The gathering, or synod, revealed deep divisions among the church's leaders over traditional Catholic teachings on homosexuality and marriage. Pope Paul, who died in 1978, led the church as it implemented many of the historic Vatican II reforms. Quoting Pope Paul, Francis said today's church is adapting by "carefully surveying the signs of the times."

The New York Times

6. Ex-Nazis have kept Social Security benefits even after being deported

Dozens of suspected Nazi war criminals and former SS guards have collected millions of dollars in Social Security payments after being forced out of the U.S., according to an investigation by The Associated Press. The Justice Department used a loophole permitting the payments to persuade Nazi suspects to leave willingly, by promising they could keep Social Security benefits if they did not flee deportation.

The Associated Press

7. Dozens who had contact with Ebola patient declared healthy

Roughly 50 people who had contact with Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S., were declared risk-free on Sunday and Monday after completing 21 days of monitoring. Duncan's fiancee, Louise Troh, was among those determined to be risk free. Troh had nursed Duncan in their apartment before he was admitted to the Dallas hospital where he died. The hospital apologized in full-page newspaper ads over the weekend for sending Duncan home the first time he went to the emergency room with a fever.

The New York Times NBC News

8. Cowboy running back DeMarco Murray sets a rushing record

The Dallas Cowboys' DeMarco Murray broke an NFL rushing record on Sunday by becoming the first running back in history to run for more than 100 yards in the first seven games of the season. Murray, 26, tied the six-game record set by Jim Brown in 1958 in the Cowboys' defeat of the Seattle Seahawks last week. Murray then ran for 128 yards in Sunday's win over the New York Giants.

Bleacher Report

9. Australia drops plan to isolate burqa wearers in Parliament

Australian lawmakers have backed down from a plan to make Muslim women wearing burqas or niquabs — traditional garments that conceal the face — sit behind protective glass screens when viewing proceedings in Parliament. Senate leaders had said the measure was "prudent," but Muslim leaders, human rights activists, and opposition politicians said the restriction would needlessly alienate Muslims. The government said Monday that it would instead require women to temporarily remove head coverings during security screening.

The Wall Street Journal

10. Manning breaks NFL record for career touchdown passes

Peyton Manning threw his 509th touchdown pass on Sunday, setting an NFL record. Manning threw his 508th in the same game against the San Francisco 49ers with a 39-yard score in the first quarter, tying the old record set by Brett Favre. The record-breaker came in the next quarter, when Manning, 38, hit Demaryius Thomas to put their Denver Broncos ahead, 21-3. Manning went on to throw for another touchdown, giving him 510 before time ran out, and the Broncos won the game, 42-17.

USA Today