10 things you need to know today: October 22, 2015

1. Biden decides not to run for president

Vice President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that he would not run for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, ending months of speculation. Biden said the grieving process following the death of his elder son, Beau, earlier this year had left too little time to mount a winning campaign. "But I will not be silent," he said in the White House's Rose Garden, flanked by his wife, Jill, and President Obama. Biden said Democrats should run on Obama's legacy, a jab at frontrunner Hillary Clinton, who has broken with the administration on several key issues recently.

The New York Times

2. Hillary Clinton testifying before House Benghazi committee

Hillary Clinton on Thursday heads into a showdown on Capitol Hill, where the Democratic presidential frontrunner is scheduled to testify before the Republican-led committee investigating the deadly 2012 attacks on U.S. diplomats in Benghazi, Libya. The committee has stepped up pressure on Clinton over her use of a private email server at the time of the attacks, when she was secretary of state. Several Republicans have said the committee's work has hurt Clinton in the polls, angering Trey Gowdy, the committee's Republican chairman.

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Reuters

3. Freedom Caucus supermajority backs Ryan for House speaker

A 70-percent supermajority of the 40-member hardline House Freedom Caucus on Wednesday agreed to back Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) as the next speaker of the House, although he fell short of the 80 percent needed for the group's official endorsement. Outgoing House Speaker John Boehner announced Wednesday that Republicans would pick his successor in an internal vote on Oct. 28, followed by a floor election the next day. Ryan initially balked at the idea, but said Tuesday he would take the job if Republicans united behind him.

The Washington Post Politico

4. WikiLeaks posts CIA chief's hacked personal information

WikiLeaks on Wednesday published personal data belonging to CIA Director John Brennan. The embarrassing leak came days after a hacker claimed to have illegally accessed Brennan's personal email server. WikiLeaks is believed to have obtained the information from the same hacker or hackers. The documents involved dated to before Brennan's service in the Obama administration, and contained no classified data.

CNN

5. Violence continues in Israel as Kerry meets with Netanyahu

Israeli police fatally shot one Palestinian and wounded another on Thursday after the two allegedly stabbed a Jewish seminary student near Jerusalem. The attack was the latest in three weeks of deadly violence. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Berlin to discuss steps to curb the violence, which has killed nine Israelis. Forty-nine Palestinians, including 25 alleged assailants, have died during attacks and anti-Israel protests.

Reuters

6. Vatican issues denial on report that Pope Francis is ill

The Vatican on Wednesday denied a newspaper report that Pope Francis is ill. An Italian newspaper, National Daily, published an article saying the 78-year-old leader of the world's Catholics has a small, curable brain tumor. A Vatican spokesman said Francis' head was "absolutely perfect" and called the article "completely unfounded and seriously irresponsible." The paper said Japanese brain cancer specialist Dr. Takanori Fukushima of Duke University had discovered the tumor, but Fukushima said he had never medically examined the pope.

The New York Times

7. Man charged in road-rage killing of 4-year-old Albuquerque girl

A 32-year-old man, Tony Torrez, was arrested Wednesday on murder charges for the shooting death of a 4-year-old in an Albuquerque, New Mexico, road-rage incident. The child, Lilly Garcia, was riding in the backseat of her father's pickup truck with her 7-year-old brother after they were picked up from school on Tuesday. The father reportedly exchanged words with the driver of a Toyota that forced him out of his lane as he tried to exit Interstate 10, and the Toyota driver allegedly opened fire, hitting Lilly at least once in the head.

The Associated Press

8. Chris Rock to host next Oscars

Chris Rock confirmed Wednesday that he would be the host of the 88th annual Academy Awards ceremony, which airs Feb. 28, 2016. "Look who's back," Rock wrote in a tweet that also included a picture of himself holding an Oscar statuette. Rock hosted the Oscars in 2005, and had been rumored to be the favorite for the next ceremony. Academy CEO Dawn Hudson called the comedian a "creative innovator" who is "unafraid in his artistry." "We couldn’t be happier to welcome him back to the Oscars," Hudson said.

The Hollywood Reporter

9. Researchers warn of L.A. earthquake

There is a 99.9 percent chance that a magnitude-5.0 or greater earthquake will hit the Los Angeles area over the next three years, according to a NASA-led study released this week. Researchers used GPS and airborne radar to see how the Earth's crust had been changed by a magnitude 5.1 temblor last year centered near La Habra, southeast of downtown L.A. That quake did $12 million in damage. A 1994 magnitude-6.7 quake killed dozens of people, injured 9,000, and caused $25 billion in damage.

The Associated Press

10. Mets sweep Cubs to advance to World Series

The New York Mets defeated the Chicago Cubs 8-3 Wednesday to complete a four-game sweep and win the National League championship, advancing to the World Series. Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy hit his seventh home run of the postseason, becoming the first player to hit a home run in six straight postseason games. The Mets play the winner of the American League Championship Series, in which the Toronto Blue Jays kept their hopes alive with a 7-1 win Wednesday. The Royals lead the best-of-seven series 3-2.

ESPN CNN