10 things you need to know today: September 14, 2015

(Image credit: (AP Photo/David Goldman))

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1. Germany imposes border controls to contain migrant crisis
2. Wildfire burns hundreds of structures in Northern California
3. Kentucky clerk jailed over gay marriage due to return to work
4. Insurgents free 355 prisoners in attack on Afghan jail
5. 34 die as migrant boat capsizes in the Aegean Sea
6. Egyptian forces mistakenly kill tourists
7. NBA legend Moses Malone dies at 60
8. Miss America crowns new winner and apologizes to Vanessa Williams
9. Fourth inmate dies after violence in Oklahoma prison
10. Djokovic beats Federer to win U.S. Open

published 14 September 2015

1. Germany imposes border controls to contain migrant crisis

Germany announced Sunday that it was imposing emergency controls on its border with Austria as it faces a growing flood of migrants and refugees from Syria and other trouble spots. Germany temporarily ordered highway checks and the suspension of train service along the main path that tens of thousands of migrants have used as they try to reach Western Europe to apply for asylum. Germany has pledged to take in more migrants than any of its European partners, but its resources were tested over the weekend as a record 40,000 migrants crossed its borders.

A fast-moving wildfires burned about 1,000 structures, including about 400 homes, as it raced through several communities in Northern California, fire officials said Sunday. One person was killed in Lake County, north of Napa County. The blaze, known as the Valley fire, forced thousands of people to flee their homes. It is now the most destructive of dozens of fires that have hit the drought-plagued Western U.S. this summer in what California fire officials described as a season of "unheard of fire behavior."

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Rowan County, Kentucky, Clerk Kim Davis is scheduled to return to work on Monday for the first time since spending five days in jail for defying a judge's order to start issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Davis, citing her conservative Christian beliefs, stopped issuing all marriage licenses in June after the U.S. Supreme Court effectively legalized gay marriage nationwide. Davis' deputies complied with the judge's order and issued licenses to same-sex couples in her absence, and the judge warned her she would go back to jail if she interfered.

About 355 inmates escaped from a prison in Afghanistan's Ghazni province on Monday after militants attacked the facility. First, a militant rammed the prison's main gate with a car bomb at around 2 a.m., then six militants dressed in police uniforms went inside and helped prisoners get out. Four guards and seven insurgents were killed, an Afghan official said. Many of the escapees reportedly were members of the Taliban. The jail was housing 436 prisoners at the time of the attack.

Thirty-four migrants, including 15 children, died on Sunday when their boat tipped over in the Aegean Sea. The Greek Coast Guard recovered the bodies and rescued 68 survivors. Another 30 people swam to a small Greek island called Farmakonisi. The accident, which occurred as the area was battered by high winds, was the latest in a series of tragedies that have hit groups of migrants from trying to reach Western Europe from countries torn by war and poverty.

Egyptian security forces accidentally opened fire on a tourist convoy on Sunday, killing 12 Egyptians and Mexicans, the interior ministry said Monday. Ten others were injured. The soldiers were engaging with a group of militants in the country's western desert when they mistakenly shot at the tourist vehicles. Egypt has been battling an insurgency that gained momentum after the toppling of the country's elected Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi, in 2013.

Former superstar NBA center Moses Malone died over the weekend at age 60, the Philadelphia 76ers announced Sunday. Malone was known during his playing years as the Chairman of the Boards for his rebounding prowess. He helped lead the 76ers to the 1983 league championship. Malone was found unresponsive by staff members in the Norfolk, Virginia, hotel where he was staying before he was scheduled to play in a celebrity golf tournament.

Miss Georgia, Betty Cantrell, was crowned as the new Miss America on Sunday night, beating out 51 other contestants from around the country. She stood out in the talent portion of the contest with an opera performance — "Tu Tu Piccolo Iddio" from Madame Butterfly. This year's contest also featured the return of Vanessa Williams, who won in 1984 only to have her crown stripped away after nude photos of her surfaced. Pageant executives apologized to Williams and welcomed her back.

A fourth inmate has died from injuries sustained in an outburst of violence at an Oklahoma prison over the weekend, the company that owns and operates the prison said on Sunday. The inmate-on-inmate violence broke out in one of the facility's housing pods. It lasted only a few minutes, but it took prison staff 38 minutes to secure the scene. The prison remained on lockdown Sunday. Another three inmates remained hospitalized Sunday in stable condition.

Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, on Sunday to win the men's singles championship at the United States Open at New York's Arthur Ashe Stadium. The victory over the 17-time major-tournament champion gave Djokovic his second U.S. Open title, and capped one of the best grand slam seasons in recent memory. It was Djokovic's third major championship of the year, and his 10th career grand slam win. "It's been an incredible season," said Djokovic.

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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.