10 things you need to know today: February 21, 2015

1. About 800,000 taxpayers using Healthcare.gov received incorrect tax data

The Obama administration on Friday told about 800,000 taxpayers who purchased insurance policies via Healthcare.gov that they had been sent incorrect tax information. The affected individuals have been advised to hold off on filing their tax returns until the government sends them corrected data, which will likely arrive the first week of March. The incorrect forms included miscalculated "benchmark premiums," officials said. Those premiums are reported so that taxpayers receive subsidies-as-tax-credits based on their projected income for 2014 and insurance coverage purchased. The mistake means some taxpayers will receive more credit help, while others will receive less than their first forms stated, officials said.

The New York Times

2. Greece, eurozone creditors reach deal on bailout extension

Greece on Friday announced that it had reached a deal with eurozone creditors to extend the country's bailout by four months. At a meeting of finance ministers in Brussels, officials reached an agreement that will remove "the immediate risk of Greece running out of money next month." Greece will be required to submit by Monday a list of the reform measures it will enact during the rest of the bailout's time frame.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The Associated Press Reuters

3. White House will seek emergency order to pursue immigration plan

The White House announced on Friday that Justice Department lawyers will ask an appeals court for an emergency order to continue its immigration plan. The order would allow the government to continue providing work permits to undocumented immigrants. The announcement comes after a federal judge postponed President Obama's executive action on immigration. White House officials said the Justice Department will make an official request by Monday.

The New York Times

4. Yemen's former president escapes capital after weeks of house arrest

Former Yemeni president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi managed to leave his official residence in Sanaa and fly to his hometown of Aden on Saturday after being held under house arrest for several weeks by Houthi militia. The United Nations reportedly assisted Hadi in his departure. The U.N. also helped negotiate a power-sharing deal between the Houthis and Yemen's other rival parties on Friday; the rival factions agreed to assist in creating a transitional governing council following the Houthi government takeover in January.

Reuters

5. Former first lady of Virginia sentenced to a year and one day in prison

Maureen McDonnell, the former first lady of Virginia, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison on Friday. In September, Bob McDonnell, former governor of Virginia, and his wife Maureen were convicted of doing favors for former Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams, in exchange for lavish gifts. Bob McDonnell was sentenced to two years in prison in January.

USA Today

6. India's swine flu death toll passes 700

An H1N1 outbreak in India has killed at least 703 people in the past eight weeks, and the disease has infected more than 11,000 people, the Indian government announced on Thursday. The outbreak of H1N1, commonly known as swine flu, is believed to be the worst in India since 2009. While government officials have said there is enough medicine to treat the outbreak, private chemists have reported shortages, due to customers who "rushed to stockpile supplies."

Bloomberg

7. ISIS-linked militants claim responsibility for Libyan car bombing

Islamic State loyalists claimed responsibility for a car bomb attack in east Libya that killed at least 35 people on Friday. A statement posted on a militant website said the attacks were "revenge" for recent airstrikes carried out by the Libyan National Army on ISIS holdings. The car bombing was only 19 miles away from Darna, one of ISIS's strongholds in Libya.

The Associated Press The Washington Post

8. Floyd Mayweather announces fight against Manny Pacquiao

After months of contract negotiations, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. announced on Friday that he and Manny Pacquiao will meet in a welterweight fight on May 2. The fight will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and be jointly aired on competing networks Showtime and HBO. Mayweather reportedly won several concessions from the Pacquiao camp, including announcing the bout, entering the ring first, and a 60-40 purse split. And that purse is expected to be the largest in boxing history — Mayweather could reportedly earn $120 million or more, and Pacquiao could expect a windfall of more than $80 million.

The Associated Press

9. WHO approves first rapid blood test for Ebola

The World Health Organization announced on Friday that it has approved the ReEBOV Antigen Rapid Test, created by Corgenix, a U.S. company. The test searches patients' blood for the Ebola virus and gives an initial result in as little as 15 minutes. While the test is less accurate than conventional Ebola testing, doctors hope it can be used in remote areas, as it is "rapid, easy to perform, and does not require electricity," a WHO spokesman said.

BBC News

10. Scientists discover black hole emitting strong enough winds to halt star formation

A new study published in the journal Science found that a supermassive black hole two billion light years away is emitting winds powerful enough to stop star formation. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, along with the European Space Agency, found that the black hole, PDS 456, is blowing powerful winds in all directions — scientists had not proven until now that a black hole was capable of such emissions.

Science NASA