10 things you need to know today: May 3, 2015

Protesters gather for a "victory rally" in Baltimore, American Pharoah wins the Kentucky Derby, and more

Protesters in Baltimore
(Image credit: (AP Photo/David Goldman))

1. Thousands gather for Baltimore 'victory rally'

A march originally billed as a protest became a "victory rally" in Baltimore on Saturday afternoon. Thousands gathered and marched in celebration of Friday's announcement by State Attorney Marilyn Mosby that 25-year-old Freddie Gray's death while in police custody was a homicide, and six police officers involved would be charged with felonies. The six charged officers will appear in court later in May; a lawyer hired by the police union says Mosby made "an egregious rush to judgment" and that the officers did nothing wrong.

2. Nepal death toll passes 7,000

The latest death toll from Nepal's government reports that 7,040 people died in last week's earthquake. Thousands of people are still missing. The latest numbers were reported as the Nepali government faces criticism for allegedly blocking relief shipments to remote areas of the country. NGOs and other international bodies have reported that their supplies are being stopped at the Indian border and held up for taxation, a charge Nepal's finance secretary denied. But anecdotal reports of blocked shipments continue to be made, prompting U.N. representative Jamie McGoldrick to warn that Nepal "should not be using peacetime customs methodology."

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The Hindustan Times The Guardian

3. Italy rescues 3,690 migrants in the Mediterranean Sea

The Italian Coast Guard announced Sunday that it carried out 17 different rescue operations off Libya's coast on Saturday. Smugglers had attempted to move the migrants from Africa on motorized rubber dinghies and fishing boats. Italy brought some of the migrants to Sicilian ports on Sunday, and others are being taken to temporary shelters in Calabria, where they are expected to arrive on Monday.

The Associated Press

4. Report: U.S.-led air strikes in Syria have killed 52 civilians

The civilian death toll in the Syrian province of Aleppo has risen to 52, including seven children. The British-based Observatory for Human Rights announced the figures on Saturday, saying a U.S. air raid on Friday had accidentally struck civilians in a village near the Euphrates River. According to the Observatory, Friday's death toll marks the highest civilian loss from a single attack by U.S. and Arab forces since they began air strikes against Islamic militant groups in Syria. The U.S. military did not confirm the Observatory's report but said it would look into the situation.

Reuters

5. New York police officer shot in face

Brian Moore, a 25-year-old NYPD officer, was shot in the face in Queens on Saturday. Moore was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where officials listed him as in critical but stable condition. The suspect, Demetrius Blackwell, 35, was arrested and charged with attempted murder, assault, and criminal possession of a weapon. Blackwell, an ex-convict, allegedly fired a gun into a car while Moore and another officer were inside. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called the shooting an "unconscionable act of violence."

The New York Times The New York Daily News

6. Small earthquake hits Los Angeles

A magnitude-3.9 earthquake shook Los Angeles at 4:07 a.m. on Sunday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of injuries. The quake, centered north of Inglewood and Culver City, woke residents in the greater L.A. area. The L.A. fire department went into "earthquake mode," but the alert was lifted after L.A.'s 106 fire stations finished conducting safety checks.

The Associated Press

7. Astronomers discover 'puffed up' planet orbiting small star

Some 500 light years away from Earth, a "puffed up" planet is orbiting a star — HATS-6 — that has Australian National University researchers intrigued. "Our theories can't explain how this happened," astronomer George Zhou told CNN. "The planet has a similar mass to Saturn, but its radius is similar to Jupiter, so it's quite a puffed up planet." Researchers noticed that HATS-6's light dimmed periodically, suggesting something was moving between the star and Earth. Now that astronomers have confirmed the planet's existence, they want to figure out how such a large planet managed to form from such a small star.

CNN Australian National University

8. Floyd Mayweather Jr. beats Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas

Floyd Mayweather Jr. remains undefeated. In a unanimous judges' decision, Mayweather beat Manny Pacquiao on Saturday night, winning the welterweight title. "My last fight is in September, then it's time for me to hang it up," Mayweather said in the post-fight broadcast. "You know, I'm almost 40 years old now, I've been in the sport 19 years, I've been world champion for 18 years, and I'm truly, truly thankful, and I'm blessed." If he wins his last match, Mayweather will tie Rocky Marciano's 49-0 career record.

Sports Illustrated The Huffington Post

9. American Pharoah wins Kentucky Derby

Pre-race favorite American Pharoah proved a safe choice on Saturday night at Churchill Downs in Louisville, winning the 141st Kentucky Derby in impressive, down-to-the-wire fashion. Firing Line finished second, followed by Dortmund. American Pharoah was guided by jockey Victor Espinoza, who also won the Derby last year, atop California Chrome. Next up is the Preakness Stakes on May 16, the second stop in the quest for a Triple Crown, which was last won by Affirmed in 1978. (Editor's note: This article originally misidentified the second-place finisher. It has since been corrected. We regret the error.)

The Washington Post Sports Illustrated

10. Dave Goldberg, SurveyMonkey CEO and Sheryl Sandberg's husband, dies suddenly at 47

Dave Goldberg, husband of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, died suddenly at age 47 on Friday night, his brother Robert Goldberg announced Saturday on Facebook. No cause of death was immediately announced. Goldberg founded LAUNCH Media Inc., in 1994, which was acquired by Yahoo! in 2001. He came on board as CEO with SurveyMonkey in 2009. Goldberg met his wife Sheryl Sandberg in 1996, and the couple married in 2004. "In this time of sorrow, we mourn his passing and remember what an amazing husband, father, brother, son, and friend he was," Robert Goldberg wrote in a statement.

Variety The Washington Post

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Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.