10 things you need to know today: April 30, 2015
Protests over Freddie Gray's death spread beyond Baltimore, Sen. Bernie Sanders confirms he is running for president, and more
- 1. Freddie Gray protests spread to New York and other big cities
- 2. Bernie Sanders says he is running for the Democratic presidential nomination
- 3. Fed view of labor market dims, delaying interest rate hike
- 4. Hillary Clinton calls for police reforms
- 5. Leaked police report suggests Freddie Gray injured himself
- 6. Teen rescued in Nepal after five days buried in earthquake rubble
- 7. Baltimore police release 103 people arrested during riots
- 8. Pope Francis calls inequality of pay for women "a scandal"
- 9. Shark kills woman in Hawaii
- 10. Weight Watchers founder Jean Nidetch dies at 91
1. Freddie Gray protests spread to New York and other big cities
Protests over Freddie Gray's death in police custody spread from Baltimore across the nation on Wednesday. Hundreds of people marched in New York City to show solidarity and peacefully protest the treatment of African Americans by police in the two cities. More than 100 people were arrested in the Manhattan protest. Similar crowds demonstrated in Boston, Seattle, San Diego, and Denver, where 11 people were arrested.
2. Bernie Sanders says he is running for the Democratic presidential nomination
Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, confirmed Wednesday that he is running for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination. "I believe (voters) want a fundamental change so that government works for ordinary Americans and not just billionaires," Sanders told USA Today. Sanders plans to formally announce his campaign on Thursday. He will join former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as the only declared candidates for the party's nomination.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
3. Fed view of labor market dims, delaying interest rate hike
The Federal Reserve downgraded its assessment of the jobs market on Wednesday as economic data indicated the U.S. economy had slowed down. Hours before the Fed released its statement, the federal government reported first quarter gross domestic product that was lower than expected. The central bank's statement suggested it would wait until September or later to start raise interest rates for the first time since June 2006, a move some had expected in the summer.
4. Hillary Clinton calls for police reforms
Hillary Clinton on Wednesday called for an end to "the era of mass incarceration" and the "unmistakable and undeniable" pattern of excessive force by police against African Americans. In the first major policy speech of her presidential campaign, Clinton said at Columbia University that the unrest over deaths of black men after confrontations with police in several cities recently signaled the need for justice system reforms, such as making more police wear body cameras and devising alternative punishments for petty drug crimes.
5. Leaked police report suggests Freddie Gray injured himself
A prisoner who was in the same police van as Freddie Gray said he heard "banging against the walls" and thought Gray "was intentionally trying to injure himself," according to a sealed police report obtained by The Washington Post. The prisoner was separated by a partition and could not see Gray, who died of injuries suffered in police custody a week later, triggering a series of peaceful protests, as well as riots. Gray family lawyer Jason Downs questioned the account, written by police. "We disagree with any implication that Freddie Gray severed his own spinal cord," he said.
6. Teen rescued in Nepal after five days buried in earthquake rubble
Rescuers on Thursday pulled a boy, 15-year-old Pema Lama, from the rubble of the collapsed Hilton Hotel in Katmandu, where he had been trapped for the five days since Nepal was struck by a 7.9-magnitude earthquake. The death toll has risen above 5,500 in Nepal, with at least another 100 deaths in India and China. Bad weather has grounded helicopters, slowing the delivery of relief supplies to some of Nepal's remote mountain villages, where many people remain stranded.
7. Baltimore police release 103 people arrested during riots
Baltimore authorities late Wednesday released 103 people who had been arrested during rioting that followed the funeral of Freddie Gray. They were allowed to go free without being charged because the swamped police department could not process their paperwork on time. Before the second night of a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew, thousands of demonstrators participated in a peaceful rally at City Hall.
8. Pope Francis calls inequality of pay for women "a scandal"
Pope Francis on Wednesday called for equality in the workplace, saying it is "a scandal" that women are paid less than men for the same work. "Why is it taken for granted that women must earn less than men? No! They have the same rights," the pope told a crowd in St. Peter's Square. Women in Europe made 16.4 percent less than men in 2013. Pope Francis said Christians have a duty to "decisively support the right to equal pay for equal work."
9. Shark kills woman in Hawaii
A shark killed a 65-year-old woman in Hawaii on Wednesday. Her body was found floating by snorkelers about 200 yards from shore at a popular surfing spot. The Department of Land and Natural Resources closed the waters, and crews on jet skis cleared swimmers, divers, and surfers from the area. It will remained closed until at least noon Thursday as authorities investigate. There were no witnesses to the attack — the first in the state this year.
10. Weight Watchers founder Jean Nidetch dies at 91
Jean Nidetch, the founder of Weight Watchers, died Wednesday at her home in Parkland, Florida. She was 91. Nidetch said she was "an overweight housewife obsessed with cookies" until the early 1960s, when she started holding meetings with friends in her Queens apartment. The group's support helped Nidetch, who weighed 214 pounds, lose 72 pounds. In 1963 she launched Weight Watchers International. The organization quickly attracted millions of members and spawned thousands of franchises.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
The fishy diplomacy causing tensions between Bangladesh and India
Under The Radar Exports of a 'sacred' fish were recently suspended during difficult relations for the two nations
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Today's political cartoons - October 6, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - Sunday scaries, in-fighting, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 fact-checked cartoons about the VP debate
Cartoons Artists take on civil disagreements, admissions, and more
By The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 24, 2024
Daily Briefing Trump closes in on nomination with New Hampshire win over Haley, 'Oppenheimer' leads the 2024 Oscar nominations, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 23, 2024
Daily Briefing Haley makes last stand in New Hampshire as Trump extends polling lead, justices side with US over Texas in border fight, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 22, 2024
Daily Briefing DeSantis ends his presidential campaign and endorses Trump, the US and Arab allies push plan to end Gaza war, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 21, 2024
Daily Briefing Palestinian death toll reportedly passes 25,000, top Biden adviser to travel to Egypt and Qatar for hostage talks, and more
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 20, 2024
Daily Briefing Grand jury reportedly convened to investigate Uvalde shooting response, families protest outside Netanyahu's house as pressure mounts for hostage deal, and more
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 19, 2024
Daily Briefing Congress averts a government shutdown, DOJ report cites failures in police response to Texas school shooting, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-