10 things you need to know today: May 18, 2015

(Image credit: (AP Photo/Jerry Larson))

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1. Nine killed in Texas biker-gang shootout
2. ISIS takes Iraqi provincial capital of Ramadi
3. Obama plans to limit police use of military equipment
4. Amtrak reopens repaired track in Philadelphia
5. Saudi airstrikes resume after ceasefire with Yemeni rebels ends
6. Cuomo proposes protections for nail salon workers
7. Kerry criticizes North Korea over "grisly" executions
8. Marine dies in hard landing of Osprey aircraft in Hawaii
9. Kasich expected to join presidential race
10. Mad Men ends

By Harold Maass, The Week US

published 18 May 2015

1. Nine killed in Texas biker-gang shootout

At least nine people were killed Sunday in a gunfight involving three rival motorcycle gangs at a Waco, Texas, restaurant. Police said all of the dead were members of criminal biker gangs. The gangs were holding a recruitment event at the Twin Peaks Restaurant. Police had been told there could be trouble, and warned the restaurant's management not to allow the event to take place. Police confiscated about 100 weapons after the fight. Eighteen people were sent to hospitals, but no police officers or bystanders were wounded.

Islamic State militants said Sunday that they had seized control of the western Iraq city of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province. The loss of Ramadi, if confirmed, would be the biggest defeat for the Iraqi government since its security forces launched a major counteroffensive, aided by U.S.-led airstrikes, to end the militants' advances last year. The Pentagon conceded that ISIS had gained momentum. U.S. officials said the overall campaign against ISIS was still strong, although losing Ramadi would give Islamist extremist fighters a "propaganda boost."

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President Obama will ban police use of some military equipment following complaints about the heavily armed police response to unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, the White House said Monday. Obama plans to use an executive order to prohibit police use of explosive-resistant vehicles with tracked wheels like those on tanks. He also will require tougher rules on justifying the use of other blast-resistant vehicles, riot shields, and some other equipment.

Amtrak is resuming service between New York City and Philadelphia on Monday for the first time since a deadly derailment last week. Eight passengers were killed and more than 200 injured in the crash, which occurred as the train entered a curve in Philadelphia at just over 100 mph, more than double the speed limit. Amtrak said the track had been repaired with "the utmost care." Investigators said Sunday that they had found no evidence to support speculation that someone had shot at the train before the crash.

A Saudi-led coalition resumed airstrikes against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen after the end of a five-day humanitarian ceasefire, witnesses said Monday. The strikes hit rebel tanks and other targets in the port city of Aden shortly after the truce ended at 11 p.m. Sunday. Earlier on Sunday, Yemeni officials began talks on restoring peace, but the rebels did not participate. The Shiite Muslim Houthis refuse to consider restoring the country's exiled president, one of the central goals of the discussions.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Monday plans to introduce measures to punish nail salons that mistreat workers. Cuomo last week ordered health-regulation changes to protect workers after a New York Times investigation exposed exploitation of workers at nail salons. Many of the workers have experienced serious health problems linked to chemicals used in salons. New legislation, if passed, would give the state power to close unlicensed salons, and impose higher fines for violations.

Secretary of State John Kerry slammed the government of North Korea on Monday over recent reports of "grotesque, grisly, horrendous" public executions ordered by the communist government's leader, Kim Jong Un. Kerry said Pyonyang was committing crimes that could be referred to the International Criminal Court. The remarks, which Kerry made while visiting South Korea, came following a recent report that North Korea's defense minister had been publicly executed with an anti-aircraft gun for falling asleep in a meeting Kim was leading.

One Marine was killed and 21 others were injured on Sunday when a tilt-rotor MV-22 Osprey aircraft made a hard landing during a training mission at Bellows Air Force Station in Hawaii. The Osprey is a controversial aircraft that can take off and hover like a helicopter, and fly like an airplane. The military once came close to abandoning the Osprey over a history of mishaps. Two test crashes killed 23 Marines in 2000.

Ohio Governor John Kasich is "virtually certain" to run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, according to ABC News. Kasich last month told CNN, "If I can win, I'm likely to run." A second-term governor in an important swing state, Kasich has earned praise on the right for battling public unions and moving to slash state spending. He launched a political committee last month and scheduled swings through the early primary states of South Carolina and New Hampshire.

The beloved AMC Network drama Mad Men ended Sunday with the final episode of its seventh season. Creator Matthew Weiner's period drama traced the lives of Madison Avenue ad executives — most notably the dashing and mysterious Don Draper — through the 1960s. The show's story lines touched on landmark historical events of the transformative decade, including John F. Kennedy's assassination and Vietnam war protests. Tim Goodman at The Hollywood Reporter called the finale a "masterful achievement" that even diehard fans will appreciate.

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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.