10 things you need to know today: May 7, 2015

British pensioners leave their polling station.

(Image credit: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

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1. Britons vote in tight parliamentary election
2. Baltimore mayor requests civil rights investigation of police department
3. Investigators believe Texas attack was the work of lone wolf, not ISIS
4. Hillary Clinton works with super PAC to compete with GOP fundraising
5. Netanyahu strikes 11th-hour deal to form coalition
6. Cluster of tornadoes slams Plains states
7. Chicago approves $5.5 million for torture victims
8. California adopts rules for seawater desalination plants
9. L.A. police chief questions officer's fatal shooting of unarmed homeless man
10. Report: Patriots QB Tom Brady probably knew about deflategate tampering

last updated 7 May 2015

1. Britons vote in tight parliamentary election

British voters go to the polls on Thursday to end a bitter six-week battle for control of Parliament. Either Conservative incumbent David Cameron or Labour challenger Ed Miliband will emerge from the vote as prime minister. The leading parties have been locked in a tight race for months, suggesting neither will win the majority necessary to rule without coalition partners. "This race is going to be the closest we have ever seen," Miliband said on the eve of the vote. "It is going to go down to the wire."

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake on Wednesday asked the Justice Department to open a civil rights investigation into the practices of her city's police department. The move came following unrest over the death of Freddie Gray, a young black man who suffered a fatal injury in police custody. A Justice Department spokeswoman said that Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who visited the city a day earlier, "is actively considering that option" after speaking with police and community leaders.

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The White House said Wednesday that the attack by two gunmen on a Texas cartoon contest featuring images of the Prophet Muhammad appeared to be the work of "lone wolf" terrorists, although it was too early to be sure. The self-proclaimed Islamic State has claimed credit for the attack, which left the two alleged gunmen dead. Investigators have found no hard evidence ISIS was directly involved. One of the alleged gunmen, Elton Simpson, did exchange Twitter messages with a member of an ISIS affiliate days before the attack.

Hillary Clinton reportedly plans to personally cultivate donors for the top Democratic super PAC, Priorities USA Action. As a declared candidate, Clinton cannot ask donors for more than $5,000 for the super PAC, but under Federal Election Commission rules, she can attend events and talk to the audience. A Clinton campaign official said the move — a first for a declared Democratic candidate — is necessary to compete with GOP rivals who are "outsourcing their entire campaign to super PACs."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday struck a deal to form a new coalition government just before a midnight deadline. Nearly two months after winning re-election to a fourth term, Netanyahu announced around 11 p.m. he had cobbled together at least the 61 seats necessary in parliament to form a new government after securing the support of the nationalist Jewish Home party. Netanyahu came from behind to win a tight election in March, and the thin margin complicated the task of forming a new government.

At least 50 tornadoes tore through the Plains states on Wednesday, injuring 12 people. No deaths were immediately reported. Tornadoes were spotted in at least three states — Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. Storms damaged dozens of homes, and caused flash floods in Oklahoma. Students at the University of Oklahoma in Norman had to take cover in dorms as a "large and extremely dangerous" twister was spotted over the city. Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City was evacuated twice as violent storms approached.

The Chicago City Council on Wednesday approved a $5.5 million in reparations for victims allegedly tortured by former police Cmdr. Jon Burge. City lawmakers gave a standing ovation to some of the victims and their relatives, who were watching from the gallery. One of the aldermen, Proco "Joe" Moreno, said the day was "truly historic," and Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the move was an essential step in "removing a stain" on the city. Burge and his men allegedly tortured more than 100 people, most of them African Americans, to extract confessions between 1972 and 1991.

California water regulators on Wednesday approved rules for permitting seawater desalination projects. The Western Hemisphere's biggest desalination plant is already under construction in Carlsbad, California. The plant will be able to produce 50 million gallons a day, meeting about 10 percent of San Diego County's drinking-water demand. More such facilities are being proposed across the state as communities seek ways to supplement drinking water supplies during an historic drought.

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said Wednesday that he had seen no evidence justifying the fatal shooting of an unarmed homeless man by a police officer late Tuesday. Beck said he was "very concerned" about the shooting near Venice Beach, but said the investigation was still underway. The union representing officers said it was premature and "completely irresponsible" for Beck to publicly question the officer "without having all of the facts."

An NFL report made public Wednesday concluded that it was "more probable than not" that New England Patriots staffers deliberately deflated footballs contrary to league rules during the 2015 AFC championship game in January. The authors of the 243-page report, which included input from lawyers and physics experts, concluded that star Patriots quarterback Tom Brady — but not coach Bill Belichick — was probably "at least generally aware" of the alleged cheating. Brady's dad said he was framed.

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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.