10 things you need to know today: May 25, 2015
Beautiful Mind mathematician John Nash dies, Cleveland police arrest 71 protesters, and more

- 1. A Beautiful Mind mathematician John Nash killed in crash
- 2. 71 protesters arrested after Cleveland officer's acquittal
- 3. 3 die in flooding caused by record rains in Texas and Oklahoma
- 4. Malaysia discovers migrant camps and graves
- 5. Israeli ex-premier Ehud Olmert sentenced to eight months in jail
- 6. Defense Secretary Carter says Iraqis lack 'will to fight' ISIS
- 7. Pressure cooker found in 'suspicious' car near Capitol
- 8. Obama marks what he calls first Memorial Day since end of Afghan war
- 9. Montoya wins his second Indy 500
- 10. Comic actress Anne Meara dies at 85

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
1. A Beautiful Mind mathematician John Nash killed in crash
Nobel Prize-winning mathematician John F. Nash Jr., who inspired the Oscar-winning film A Beautiful Mind, died in a car crash over the weekend. He was 86. His wife, Alicia, also was killed. She was 82. They died after being ejected from a taxi when the driver lost control and slammed into a guard rail and another car. Nash revolutionized the field of game theory, and shared a 1994 Nobel in economics. The film he inspired traced his descent into mental illness, and his recovery.
2. 71 protesters arrested after Cleveland officer's acquittal
Cleveland police arrested 71 people during protests over the acquittal of a white police officer, Michael Brelo, in the 2012 killing of two unarmed black people, authorities said Sunday. Officers "gave people the space and a safe environment" to protest peacefully on Saturday, and only intervened when some demonstrators got violent, Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said. In the 2012 case, police opened fire on the victims' car after mistaking a car's backfiring for gunshots. Brelo climbed onto the car's hood and fired 15 times.
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. 3 die in flooding caused by record rains in Texas and Oklahoma
Weekend flooding killed at least three people and left another eight missing in Oklahoma and Texas. The flooding damaged or destroyed at least 400 homes, and displaced more than 1,000 people. The Blanco River outside Austin in Hays County, Texas, rose to just over 40 feet — nearly six feet higher than the previous record. Runoff in some areas was peaking Monday. "Now is not the time to try to return to your homes," San Marcos Fire Marshal Ken Bell said Sunday.
4. Malaysia discovers migrant camps and graves
Malaysian authorities plan on Monday to exhume bodies found in 139 graves believed to hold human trafficking victims near the Thai border, national police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said Monday. It is not clear how many bodies are in each grave. The graves were found in 28 illegal camps traffickers appeared to have used. The discoveries came as the Southeast Asian nations struggle to deal with a humanitarian crisis as thousands of migrants flee Bangladesh and Myanmar in overcrowded boats.
5. Israeli ex-premier Ehud Olmert sentenced to eight months in jail
Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert was sentenced to eight months in prison on Monday on corruption charges. Olmert, who served as prime minister from 2006 to 2009, was convicted in March of taking envelopes stuffed with cash from American businessman Morris Talansky, a political supporter, from 1997 to 2005. Last year, Olmert was sentenced to six years for accepting bribes. He denies wrongdoing in both cases, and will remain free pending appeals.
6. Defense Secretary Carter says Iraqis lack 'will to fight' ISIS
Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Sunday said that Iraqi troops lost the city of Ramadi to the Islamic State because they lacked the "will to fight." Last weekend, ISIS captured Ramadi as Iraqi troops fled and left behind weapons provided by the U.S. Days later, ISIS overran the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra as well. "They were not outnumbered," Carter said in an interview that aired Sunday. "In fact, they vastly outnumbered the opposing force. And yet, they failed to fight."
The Associated Press The Washington Post
7. Pressure cooker found in 'suspicious' car near Capitol
A bomb squad detonated a pressure cooker that was found in a car near the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Sunday. A Capitol Police spokeswoman said officers found the pressure cooker and smelled gasoline in a "suspicious" unoccupied car found on a street on the National Mall. The vehicle's owner was arrested for operating a vehicle after revocation. Pressure cookers have been used to make bombs, including the ones used in the deadly April 2013 Boston Marathon attack.
8. Obama marks what he calls first Memorial Day since end of Afghan war
President Obama is heading to Arlington National Cemetery on Monday to mark Memorial Day. Obama said the annual holiday honoring America's war dead was especially meaningful this year because it is "the first Memorial Day since our war ended in Afghanistan." Observances began a day early on Sunday, when thousands of motorcycle riders participated in the annual Rolling Thunder rally in Washington, D.C., to call attention to prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action.
9. Montoya wins his second Indy 500
Juan Pablo Montoya won the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. The Colombian race driver appeared to be out of the running early in the race, when another driver clipped the right rear wing of Montoya's car, sending him to the pits in 30th place. He fought his way back, holding off Will Power and Scott Dixon in the final five laps to win his second Indy 500 in only his third appearance in the storied race. His first win was in 2000, when he was a rookie.
10. Comic actress Anne Meara dies at 85
Actress Anne Meara, the Emmy- and Tony-nominated mother of actor-director Ben Stiller, has died at age 85. Meara and her husband, Jerry Stiller, "were married for 61 years and worked together almost as long," the family said in a statement. In the 1960s and '70s, they appeared as the comedy team Stiller & Meara on The Ed Sullivan Show 36 times. Meara appeared in numerous films and television shows — including a recurring role on The King of Queens sitcom.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Harold Maass is a contributing editor at TheWeek.com. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 launch of the U.S. print edition. Harold has worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, Fox News, and ABC News. For several years, he wrote a daily round-up of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance. He lives in North Carolina with his wife and two sons.
-
5 tips to save on heating bills
The Explainer Follow these expert recommendations for a cozy and cheap winter
By Becca Stanek Published
-
Should you fire your financial adviser? 4 signs it's time to say goodbye.
The Explainer Breakups are never fun, but you have to protect your wallet
By Becca Stanek Published
-
The daily gossip: Man arrested in connection with shooting of Tupac Shakur, an OceanGate movie is in the works, and more
Feature The daily gossip: September 29, 2023
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 29, 2023
Daily Briefing House committee starts Biden impeachment inquiry, court rejects Trump's request to delay civil fraud trial, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 29 September 2023
The Week’s daily digest of the news agenda, published at 8am
By The Week Staff Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 28, 2023
Daily Briefing Republican rivals clash as absent Trump tries to upstage debate, the Senate approves a formal dress code, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 27, 2023
Daily Briefing A New York judge rules Trump defrauded banks, Biden visits auto workers on picket line, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 26, 2023
Daily Briefing Congress returns to work with shutdown looming, Ukraine says it killed Russia's Black Sea Fleet commander, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 25, 2023
Daily Briefing GOP leaders pressure far-right holdouts to help prevent a shutdown, Hollywood writers reach tentative deal to end strike, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 24, 2023
Daily Briefing Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenian population to leave region amid fears of persecution, Atlantic coast remains under flood warnings from Ophelia, and more
By Justin Klawans Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 22, 2023
Daily Briefing Zelenskyy visits Washington as Biden unveils more Ukraine aid, Rupert Murdoch steps down at Fox and News Corp., and more
By Harold Maass Published