10 things you need to know today: June 12, 2015

1. Congress to determine fate of Obama's massive Pacific trade deal

The House is expected to vote today on whether to grant "fast track authority" to President Obama's 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. Obama has pushed hard for this "legacy-defining achievement," which would make trade easier for the 40 percent of the global economy represented by these 12 countries. Obama hopes to gain "fast track" authority, which would restrict future congressional approval of the massive trade deal to a yes-or-no vote. Most House Republicans are expected to back this arrangement, as are some Democrats, but the vote is still expected to be very close. The Senate has already approved fast track authority for Obama. The president is meeting with Democrats on Capitol Hill today in a last-ditch effort to secure the votes he needs.

Reuters

2. Union says hackers got data on every federal employee

Hackers stole the Social Security numbers and other personal information of every federal employee and retiree in a December data breach, a government worker union said Thursday. J. David Cox, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said in a letter to the Office of Personnel Management that the cyber thieves also obtained the information of as many as a million former federal workers. Cox said the SSNs were not encrypted, an "outrageous" failure.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up

The Associated Press

3. Ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn cleared of 'aggravated pimping'

A court in Lille, France, acquitted former International Monetary Fund director Dominique Strauss-Kahn and 10 other defendants of "aggravated pimping" charges stemming from sex parties with prostitutes in luxury hotels. Strauss-Kahn denied organizing the orgies, telling the court that he didn't know the women were prostitutes and that he needed the "recreational sessions" while he was "saving the world" during the global financial crisis. The acquittal ends four years of legal travails for Strauss-Kahn, beginning with the allegations by a maid in a New York hotel that Strauss-Kahn sexually assaulted her. That case was settled out of court.

The Associated Press USA Today

4. Cleveland judge calls for charges against officers in Tamir Rice's death

A Cleveland judge ruled Thursday that there was probable cause to charge two Cleveland police officers for the fatal shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was killed while holding a toy gun last year. Municipal Judge Ronald Adrine, responding to affidavits filed by activists this week, said officer Timothy Loehmann, who fired the fatal shot, should be tried for murder, and officer Frank Garmback with negligent homicide. County prosecutor Timothy McGinty said he would take the case to a grand jury and not be rushed into filing charges.

The Washington Post The New York Times

5. Germanwings co-pilot reportedly feared he was losing his eyesight

Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz feared he was going blind and consulted 41 doctors in the five years before he flew his airliner into the French Alps, a French prosecutor said Thursday. The doctors reportedly considered Lubitz, 27, unfit to fly but were prevented from sharing the information with his employer due to strict German privacy laws. Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin revealed the details as he announced the opening of a criminal inquiry into the March crash, which killed all 150 people on board.

The Washington Post CNN

6. Twitter CEO Dick Costolo to step down

Twitter's board on Thursday announced that CEO Dick Costolo is stepping down in July. The board appointed Jack Dorsey, co-founder and former chief of the micro-blogging site, to serve as the company's interim leader while they search for a long-term successor. Costolo had run Twitter for five years and replaced most of its top management last year. He reportedly had grown weary of second-guessing by Wall Street investors.

The New York Times

7. Rupert Murdoch to pass Fox leadership to his son

Rupert Murdoch reportedly is preparing to step down as CEO at 21st Century Fox, sources told CNBC. Murdoch, controlling shareholder of the media giant and head of News Corp., will hand over the title to his son James, 42. The elder Murdoch, who is 84, will continue to serve in his position as executive chairman at Fox. Murdoch's other son, Lachlan, will become the company's co-executive chairman. It was not immediately clear whether the reorganization would take effect later this year or in 2016.

CNBC

8. Aung San Suu Kyi meets Chinese leaders

Myanmar opposition leader and Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday. The meeting came on the second day of a trip that is being described as an important step in her transformation from iconic democracy and human rights advocate to politician ahead of national elections later this year. She also plans to meet with Premier Li Keqiang. China says the visit will promote ties with its southern neighbor, which has become closer to the West with recent political reforms.

CNN

9. Police say woman admitted helping prison escapees

A prison worker suspected of helping two murderers escape from a maximum-security New York prison last week allegedly admitted to state police that she smuggled power tools to the inmates and gave them access to a cellphone. Investigators also believe the woman — Joyce Mitchell, 51 — arranged a getaway car, but backed out after a panic attack. Bloodhounds have reportedly picked up the scent of the men — Richard Matt, 48, and David Sweat, 34 — in woods about four miles from the prison.

Albany Times Union

10. Warriors beat Cavaliers in game 4 to even up NBA Finals

The Golden State Warriors tied the NBA Finals at two games each on Thursday with a 103-82 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors revived their offense with an unusually small lineup, benching struggling 7-foot center Andrew Bogut and replacing him with 6-foot-7 Draymond Green. MVP Steph Curry and Andre Iguodala led the Cavaliers with 22 points each. Cavaliers superstar LeBron James managed only 20 points after averaging 41 in the first three games. Game 5 is Sunday in Oakland.

Los Angeles Times