10 things you need to know today: December 13, 2015

Leaders reach historic climate change pact, Ted Cruz surges in Iowa, and more

U.N. and French officials celebrate the landmark climate change deal reached in Paris by global leaders.
(Image credit: Francois Mori/Associated Press)

1. Global leaders approve landmark climate change deal

Almost every country in the world approved a historic pact to curb climate change Saturday, following two weeks of United Nations-led negotiations in Paris. The 195 nations will work toward capping atmospheric temperature increases at or below 2 degrees Celsius by limiting fossil fuel emissions. The deal marks the "first universal agreement in the history of climate negotiations," said French President François Hollande.

2. Obama: Climate deal is 'turning point for the world'

President Obama praised the global climate change deal approved by 195 nations at the Paris talks Saturday. "This moment can be a turning point for the world." Obama said at the White House. "We've shown that the world has both the willingness and the ability to take on a challenge." Some environmentalists say the pact to lower emissions doesn't go far enough, while many Republicans have argued that human activity isn't linked with climate change, despite scientific evidence to the contrary.

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Bloomberg News

3. Poll: Ted Cruz snags 10-point lead in Iowa

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) leapfrogged Donald Trump to take a 10-point lead as the favorite for likely Republican caucusgoers in Iowa, according to a Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics poll released Saturday. Cruz is the top presidential pick for 31 percent surveyed, marking a jump of 21 percentage points for him since the October poll. Trump sits 10 points back from Cruz, followed by Ben Carson and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics

4. Rand Paul fights for spot on prime-time CNN debate

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) hasn't fared well in recent polls, leading to speculation that he may not make the cutoff for Tuesday's prime-time Republican presidential debate on CNN. On Saturday, The Boston Globe walked back a story suggesting Paul would consider dropping out of the race if he is relegated to the undercard contest, reporting instead that he'd make an announcement on his campaign Tuesday. To qualify for prime time, CNN requires candidates to poll 3.5 percent nationally or 4 percent in New Hampshire or Iowa.

The Boston Globe Rand Paul

5. Video shows California deputies firing at man after he fell to ground

Protesters gathered in Lynwood, California, on Saturday after video footage appeared to show Los Angeles County deputies repeatedly shooting a man walking away from them, apparently continuing even after he fell to the ground and tried to crawl away. Family members identified the man as Nicholas Robertson, 28. Deputies say Robertson had fired shots into the air and pointed a gun at them before they opened fire.

Los Angeles Times

6. Bernie Sanders pulls Hillary Clinton attack ad

Bernie Sanders' campaign reportedly pulled an internet ad Saturday suggesting Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton is funded by "big money interests." The Democratic presidential hopeful has previously said he won't use negative advertising in his campaign. The ad was "a miscommunication in our communications shop," said Sanders' spokesman Michael Briggs. "It's down. We haven't been doing ads that mention Hillary Clinton."

The Washington Post

7. Talks between North and South Korea break down

South Korean officials said high-level talks with North Korea ended Saturday without any breakthroughs toward reconciliation or a plan to continue the discussion. When vice-ministerial officials met in Kaesong, a North Korean border town, South Korea asked its neighbor to allow more reunions for family members separated during the war. On the other side, the North demanded the South restart tours to a resort, which were suspended in 2008 after a tourist was fatally shot.

The Associated Press

8. U.S. urges citizens to leave Burundi after spike in violence

The State Department encouraged U.S. citizens to leave Burundi following an escalation of violence that has reportedly left at least 87 people dead since Friday in the capital, Bujumbura. Recent political violence has been sparked by President Pierre Nkurunziza serving a controversial third term. Friday's incident came in response to attacks on army installations. Residents reportedly said victims were shot execution-style by soldiers and police, and have disputed a police spokesman's claim that all killed in the sweep were linked to the attacks.

Al Jazeera The Guardian

9. Alabama running back Derrick Henry wins Heisman Trophy

Alabama junior Derrick Henry won the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, the first non-quarterback to earn the prestigious college football honor since 2009. The running back rushed for 1,986 yards this season, setting a Southeastern Conference record. Henry won five of the six voting regions for the award, taking 1,832 points overall to Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey's 1,539 and Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson's 1,165.

ESPN

10. Bucks snap Warriors' winning streak

The Golden State Warriors fell to the Milwaukee Bucks 108-95 on Saturday, marking the end of their undefeated 24-game run to start the season. The streak marks the third-longest single-season run in NBA history, behind the 1972 Los Angeles Lakers and the 2013 Miami Heat, with 33 and 27 wins, respectively.

ESPN Sports Illustrated

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Julie Kliegman

Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.